His Salvation
by Michelle Heath
Summary: He saved her.  Will she be his salvation?
1. Chapter 1

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 14, 2010

**A/N: This is the follow-up story to my first HFO fic, "Her Salvation". Many thanks to those of you who read and reviewed my first story. Hope you enjoy this one, and, as always, please let me know what you think. I'm always open to suggestions! Michelle**

(Groping haphazardly to find the alarm clock and stop the offensive noise it's loudly sending through his sleep-laden brain, Steve McGarrett opens one eye and is not happy to see that it's still dark outside. Finally finding the clock and hitting the correct button to turn off the alarm, he rolls over in anticipation of cuddling with his fiancée', Lt. Cmdr. Samantha Murdock, U.S.N.. Steve's arm just misses Sam's lithe form as she rolls out of her side of the bed before he can touch her.)

"Come back to bed, Sam, it's 0430."

"And I have to be at the base at 0600, Steve."

"Damn."

"You forgot I start my new assignment today, didn't you?"

"Damn."

"You probably also forgot I'll be flying CQs most of the day so I'll probably be late getting home."

"Damn."

"Go back to sleep, Steve."

"Can't. I'll miss my 'goodbye' kiss."

(Steve sounds like a petulant little boy, and Sam can't help but laugh at the incongruity of pouting coming from a big, bad Navy SEAL not to mention the head of the Governor's Task Force for the State of Hawaii.)

"How about I kiss you 'goodbye' now?"

"How about you kiss me now and when you leave?"

"On second thought, I think I'll go take a shower and get dressed, and I'm locking the bathroom door, Commander, so don't get any ideas."

"Damn."

(But when Sam steps out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she smells the mouth-watering scents of coffee and bacon and realizes that Steve has decided to get up and make her breakfast. The last time he did that, three weeks ago, he ended the day by proposing to her. She smiles as she remembers the romantic way Steve asked her to marry him, and sends up a silent prayer of thankfulness she has him in her life. In just a few minutes, Sam has dressed in her flight suit, put her hair in a French braid, and thrown on some light make-up. Grabbing her "ready" bag from the bedroom closet, she walks into the kitchen, drops her bag on the floor by the door, and walks up behind Steve who's standing at the stove cracking eggs into a skillet. Steve is wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and Sam grins appreciatively at the way he fills them out.)

"You didn't have to get up and cook me breakfast, you know."

"Yes, I did. I didn't want to wake up to an empty house."


	2. Chapter 2

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 14, 2010

(Kono Kalakaua, who is usually the first member of the Five-0 team in the office, is surprised to find Steve at his desk and working on reports when she arrives around seven-thirty. He has apparently been there for a while as there are files scattered all over his desk and there is slightly more than half a pot of coffee. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Kono strolls into Steve's office to check in.)

"Hey, Boss, you're here early."

"Sam started her new assignment at Pearl today. She had to be at the base at 0600."

"Ah. Couldn't sleep after she left, huh?"

(Steve looks up at Kono surprised that she has so accurately hit the nail on the head.)

"How'd you know?"

"I have a life, thank you. Or, rather, I had a life. Once."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Yeah, well, I'm chalking it up to being young and foolish. The point is, he was an airline pilot and had to leave at outrageously early hours of the day sometimes. I never could go back to sleep after he left, either."

"Yeah. Guess the good thing is that I should never be behind on reports."

"I'm glad everything worked out for you and Sam, Steve. It's nice to see two people who love each other the way you two do get their happy ending; gives the rest of us hope."

"Yeah, well, we haven't quite gotten there, yet, Kono. Sam hasn't gotten final approval for the additional leave she requested for the wedding and honeymoon."

"But I thought she was on convalescent leave after she was injured on the op and had thirty days of regular leave still on the books."

"Just because she has it doesn't mean she's going to get it, Kono."

"Well that's going to suck big time."

"Tell me about it."

(Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly, the two remaining members of the Five-0 Team arrive and join Steve and Kono in his office. Danny, who's seeing Sam's best friend, Lt. Caroline Thrasher, U.S.N., looks a little irritated as he enters Steve's office.)

"Heard anything about Sam's leave, yet? Caroline's getting seriously bent out of shape about this wedding."

"No, and she's not the only one. I finally, _finally_ get Sam to agree to marry me, and now we don't know if she's going to be able to get leave or not. I'm hoping Sam will be able to expedite the request now that she's back on Active Duty."

"Yeah, that's the only thing that's got Caroline's mind off the wedding. She's hoping she and Sam will get to fly together; at least some of the time."

(The team parts company and they each head to their own offices to see what reports need their attention. A few minutes later, Steve's phone rings and he smiles when he answers and realizes it's the former Executive Officer from his old SEAL team, Lt. Tony Montgomery.)

"Hey, Lieutenant, what's up? Did I forget to sign a report on the terrorist op or something?"

"Actually, Boss, this is a, uh, a personal call. I need some information."

"Okay. What do you need?"

"Well, um, I was wondering if Kono Kalakaua was, um, seeing anyone right now."

"No, she's not seeing anyone that I know of. What happened to the girl you brought to Sam's party? What was her name, Cindy?"

"She found herself a Marine Major. Guy's a Blue Angel. Guess she thought dating a Blue Angel was a little more glamorous than dating a Navy SEAL."

"Ouch. So you're interested in Kono?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, she's gorgeous, smart, funny, got a great personality, gotta' be kick-ass if she's on your team, what's there not to like?"

"Three very protective co-workers, including me."

"C'mon, Boss, you know I'm one of the good guys. I'd just like the chance to see if we click. Besides, from everything I've heard, she'd kick my six in a heartbeat if I did anything to upset her."

"True. So, do you want me to put in a good word for you?"

"No, Sir. I'm completely capable of initiating the op; just needed the intel."

"Carry on, Lieutenant."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

(Hanging up, Steve looks up and sees Kono talking to Danny in the hallway and smiles fondly. Tony Montgomery _is_ one of the good guys. Steve trusts him with his life, and, who knows, he and Kono just might hit it off. Besides, Kono will most definitely kick his six all over the place if he does something he shouldn't.)


	3. Chapter 3

**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THREE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 15, 2010

(Shortly after one o'clock, Danny walks into Steve's office with some reports for him to sign. Steve notices that Danny still looks irritated.)

"What's crawled up your six?"

"I haven't heard from Caroline all day."

"That's because she's flying CQs."

"Flying what?"

"CQ's. Carrier Qualifications. All Navy aviators are required to fly carrier qualifications every so often."

"Caroline's a RIO, she doesn't fly the plane, genius."

"Navy jets fly two-person crews; a pilot and a RIO, Danno."

"This is going to be a forever thing with you, isn't it?"

"Like I said; it's catchy."

"So what do they do on these Carrier Qualifications? Take off and land on the deck a few times?"

"First of all, do not ever let Sam hear you say 'take off and land' in reference to Naval aircraft and aircraft carriers. 'Launch and Trap'."

"What?"

"Aircraft launch from and trap onto aircraft carriers. The do not take off and land."

"What's the difference?"

"Actually, there's a big difference. The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is way smaller than a land-based runway so, in order to get the aircraft off the deck, it has to be launched and to get it safely back on the deck, it has to catch trap wires which also help stop the forward momentum. When you add in other factors like a rough sea which can cause the deck to roll and pitch, high winds, heavy rain, low visibility due to fog, especially during night traps, then you gain a whole new appreciation for the people who fly Navy jets. They have a skill set that sets them apart from other military pilots."

"You do realize that Sam's already said 'yes'. You did not have to memorize all that just to impress her."

"I didn't memorize anything. Those are common facts as related to carrier operations."

"Whatever. What does all that have to do with me not hearing from Caroline?"

"Did you not hear anything I just said, you moron? Caroline's in a fighter jet somewhere out in the Pacific launching and trapping from the deck of an aircraft carrier. She will not be using her cell phone until they are finished and she's back on the ground."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Sam is also out in the middle of the Pacific launching and trapping from a carrier. I cannot talk to Sam until she is finished and back on the ground, and she told me before she left his morning that she's probably going to be late getting home tonight, so, no, I am not enjoying this. And, secondly, there's more to CQs than just launching and trapping. Welcome to the United States Navy."


	4. Chapter 4

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 15, 2010

(Just before the end of the day, Kono sticks her head in Steve's office and asks if she can talk to him a minute.)

"Sure, Kono, what's on your mind?"

"Lt. Tony Montgomery."

"Called you, did he?"

"Yeah. Said he'd talked with you and found out I wasn't seeing anyone at the moment so I thought I'd hit you up for some intel, too."

"Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Background, dating and/or marital history, anything you can tell me."

"He's from San Diego, never been married, only dated three women in the four years I've known him, likes anything to do with the water, and, yes, he surfs, not nearly as good as you do, but he can hold his own, he's smart, a damned good Officer, and I'd trust him with my life."

"Okay. Next question, are you going to run interference for me with Danny and Chin?"

"I got your back, Kono."

"Good to know. Thanks for the information."

(When Kono walks out of his office and stops in the hallway to talk with Danny and Chin, Steve watches them and realizes that they're more than co-workers, more than teammates, more than friends; these people really have become his family. Straightening up his desk, Steve tells his friends goodnight and heads out. He knows that Sam is going to be really tired when she gets home, and he wants to stop at a steak and wine shop to pick up a couple of nice, thick steaks and a bottle of Sam's favorite wine. Driving home, Steve really notices the sights and landmarks that are so familiar to him from his youth and he thinks about how much his life has changed since he came to live in Hawaii as a young boy. Losing his mother at an early age, the unsettling, distant relationship with his sister, Mary, not truly realizing how much his father really loved him until it was too late are things which cause him sadness. Samantha Murdock, however, is the one thing, one person, in his life that brings him joy. Steve loves Sam with everything he has in him, and he longs for the day when she will become his wife. As though just thinking about her conjured her up, his cellular phone rings and the caller i.d. indicates Sam is on the other end.)

"Hello, Beautiful, pass your CQs?"

"Trapped first time every time so we finished earlier than I thought. In fact, I'm leaving the base right now, so I should be home in about half an hour."

"I'm about to stop at Chun's and pick up a couple of rib eyes to throw on the grill. Anything else you want?"

"I want you. Badly, Stud Muffin."

"Really, Sam? Stud Muffin?"

"How about this. I want to rip you clothes off that seriously hot body of yours and lick every inch of your bare skin, including your . ."

"Sam!" (but he is laughing with sheer delight) "Are we having phone sex?"

"No. We'd be having phone sex if I said that I really didn't mean to say, 'lick', I meant to say . . "

"Samantha! I get it."

"You certainly will once we both get home."


	5. Chapter 5

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 16, 2010

(Steve gets home before Sam does and, by the time she walks through the door, the steaks are marinating, potatoes are in the oven baking, and the grill is heating. When Sam walks in the kitchen, Steve hands her a glass of wine, pulls her close, and kisses her softly.)

"I missed you today, Beautiful."

"I missed you, too, Steve, but I have to say that it felt good to be back in the air after not flying for almost two months."

"I'll bet. Who'd you fly with?"

"Ens. James Todd. He just graduated from Flight School in Pensacola, and he's been at Pearl about a week. He's being assigned to a carrier, but the Brass thought he could use a little extra training so he's all mine for the next few weeks."

"Did you happen to talk to anybody about your leave request?"

"Everyone was gone by the time we got back to Pearl, but I'm hoping I can get by Capt. Tyler's office tomorrow. Those potatoes are going to take, what? About an hour?"

(The look she gives him leaves absolutely no doubt what she wants to do with that hour, and he grins back at her.)

"Give or take. Got something in mind?"

"Come with me to the bedroom and find out, Stud Muffin."

"Sam, really? Stud Muffin?"

"I think it's catchy."

(And frowning because Sam's doing to him exactly what he does to Danny, Steve follows her to the bedroom where he very quickly loses his frown. . . . Caroline Thrasher is pleasantly surprised to find Danny in her kitchen when she gets home and even more surprised at the delectable aroma coming from her oven. Dropping her "ready" bag by the door, she walks into the kitchen and gives him a kiss on the cheek.)

"This is a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah, thought you might be tired after flying all day, so I thought I'd cook dinner for you for a change."

"What'd you cook?"

"Baked chicken and rice, and it's, um, basically the only thing I can cook."

"I love baked chicken and rice, and you are the sweetest man alive."

"How'd it go today?"

"Great, except I wish I'd been flying with Sam. She hit every trap the first time and got to head back to Pearl early. Which reminds me. I need to call her and see if she made it by Capt. Tyler's office to check on her leave request."

"The Navy wouldn't not give it to her, would they?"

"They don't have to. It's all up to Capt. Tyler, and he's only been here a couple of months so I don't really know how to read him well enough to say." (she hits Sam's speed dial on her cell phone.) I just hope he approves it because . . . Hello? . . Honestly, the two of you are worse than a pair of rabbits. Did you make it by Tyler's office before he left today? . . .Sam, tell Steve to stop doing whatever it is he's doing until we finish this conversation. . . Sam?. . . Sam!" (she hangs up and grins at Danny.) "Sam's busy right now."

"Ya think? I could hear the heavy breathing and a couple of 'Oh Gods' all the way over here."

"Guess they're making up for lost time. Okay, Romeo, do I have time to take a shower before dinner's ready?"

"Yeah. If I don't take one with you."

"Then don't because I'm starving. Besides, we can always take another one after dinner. . . Should you feel the need."

(Kono, wearing a pale yellow halter dress and a pair of high-heeled sandals, is checking her make-up one last time when her doorbell rings. Taking a deep breath, she opens the door and is, once again, struck by just how good looking Lt. Tony Montgomery really is. He's dressed in a pair of khakis and a dark blue polo shirt which brings out his very blue eyes, and looks exceedingly good, especially when he smiles and looks even more like Ben Affleck who happens to be one of Kono's favorite actors.)

"Wow, you look amazing."

"Thank you. I wasn't sure where we were going for dinner so I decided to go with dressy-casual."

"Actually, we're going to the Officer's Club at Pearl. Hope you don't mind, but a friend of mine is on a forty-eight hour layover, and I promised him we'd have dinner the next time he was in town. He just called me an hour ago to let me know he was here, but I can call him back and cancel if you'd rather not go."

"No, it's fine."

"You sure? 'Cause, you know, with this being our first date, I'd hate to ruin my chances for a second one before this one even gets started."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, Tony."


	6. Chapter 6

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER SIX**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 17, 2010

(Kono is beyond impressed with Tony Montgomery; he's good-looking, built like a Greek god, has a smile that gives her the "warm fuzzies", possesses a great personality, and treats her with more courtesy than the last three guys she's dated put together. He will not allow her to open any doors, he offers her his hand as she's getting out of his car, he stands up if she leaves the table for anything and again when she returns, he holds her chair out for her. In short, he is the truest definition of an Officer and a gentleman, yet he does not treat her in a manner that is the least bit patronizing. In fact, he makes it clear that he respects her as a woman and as a police officer, and let's her know that, having had Steve as a C.O. in a SEAL team, he knows she's extremely good at her job of she wouldn't be a part of Five-0. When they leave the O Club after dinner, he asks Kono if she'd like to go to one of the more popular dance clubs on the island, but she tells him that she'd rather go for a walk on the beach instead. So off they go to the beach at Kawela Bay at Kono's suggestion. This is a beautiful beach that not many tourists know about and, while not isolated, is somewhat secluded. The moon is casting a silvery glow over the water, the waves are gently rolling in on the sand, a gentle breeze is blowing in off the ocean, and Kono is in serious trouble. For a while, they walk along the beach getting to know one another and find that they have a great deal in common, not the least of which is a love of surfing. The more they talk, the more comfortable Kono feels with him, and she thinks it absolutely adorable that his hands have purposely either been gesturing as he talks or in his pockets and not all over her. When they turn toward the area where they parked, Tony's demeanor becomes more serious.)

"Kono, I really like you and I definitely hope there's a second date but there's something you need to know."

""And, that would be?"

"As a SEAL, I'm subject to disappear at the drop of a hat with no explanation whatsoever and be gone days, maybe even weeks at a time. I can't talk about where I go or what I do; in fact, I can't say much about my job at all. Most women can't deal with guys being there one minute and gone the next and not even being able to call them. It takes a special kind of woman to have a relationship with a SEAL. I think you're that kind of woman and I'd like to see if we can have a relationship, but if you don't want to deal with all the secrecy, I'll understand."

"There's something you need to know, too. While I don't disappear at the drop of a hat to foreign destinations, I do work for an elite unit for the state of Hawaii and I can't talk about my work a lot of the time, either. There are times when a case may require me to be at work for days at a time. A lot of men can't deal with that and the fact that I'm a cop because it threatens their masculinity. I'd like to see where this is going, too, but if you don't want to deal with my job, _I'll_ understand."

"Wow. You didn't run away screaming."

"Neither did you."

"Officer Kakalaua, I think we just might be on to something here."

"I don't', Lt. Montgomery, you haven't even tried to kiss me, yet."

"Just waiting for the 'green light', Ma'am. After all, I am an Officer and a gentleman."

"You're not on duty now, are you?"


	7. Chapter 7

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 17, 2010

(Sam is putting together a salad while Steve's checking the baked potatoes, and both of them have silly little grins on their faces.)

"I really need to call Caroline back. I don't think she was too happy when I hung up on her."

"I can't believe you answered the phone in the first place."

"I don't know what possessed me. Won't happen again. Promise."

"Sam."

"Yeah?"

"Please try to get by Capt. Tyler's office tomorrow."

"I will. Listen, Steve, I was thinking. . If my leave isn't approved, let's just call a judge and get married."

(Steve stops what he's doing and pulls Sam into his arms so he can search her eyes. What he sees there makes his heart melt.)

"I want you, us, to have a real wedding, Sam. One where I get to watch you walk down the aisle in a white dress and all our friends see me kiss _my wife_ for the first time."

"I love you, Steve."

"Love you, too, Beautiful."

(Sam calls Caroline while Steve takes the steaks out to the grill. Caroline finally answers on the third ring, and sounds a little breathless,)

"Now you're interrupting something."

"What was that smart-assed comment about rabbits?"

"Yeah, yeah. Did you make it to Tyler's office?"

"No, but I'm going over there first thing in the morning."

"What are you going to do if your leave's not approved, Sam?"

"I'll figure something out. It'll be fine, Caroline. Steve and I _will _get married and it _will _happen in the near future."

"Okay. I talked to my folks earlier and they're going to go ahead and fly out here in a few days. Mom's so excited she can't stand it, and Dad's . . . He was really touched that you asked him to give you away, Sam."

"Your parents were all I had when mine were killed. I wouldn't dream of having anyone but your father walk me down the aisle. Do they know about Danny?"

"Um, sort of."

"Ah. Does he know they're coming out here?"

"Not exactly."

"Don't you think you'd better tell him?"

"Eventually."

"Caroline, you've got to tell the man your parents are coming out here _before_ they get here."

"I know, and I will; eventually. Can we talk about this tomorrow, please?"

"Well, yeah, but the sooner you tell him the more prepared he'll be to meet your parents."

"Hey, don't think my Dad hasn't already gone through Steve's file, Girlfriend."

"I'm sure he has, but that's beside the point. You need to tell Danny your parents are coming to Hawaii, Caroline. ASAP!"

"Okay, Sam, I hear you. Look, just get with me tomorrow after you've talked to Tyler, and don't make any plans with tall, dark and extremely sexy for tomorrow night. You, Kono, and I are going shopping. Bye, Sam."

(Sam lays her cell phone on the counter and nearly jumps out of her skin when Steve's voice sounds directly in her ear.)

"Why won't Caroline tell Danny her parents are coming to Hawaii?"

"Oh my God! How the _Hell_ did you get that close to me without me knowing you were there?"

"I'm just that good."

"Yes, you are most definitely that good, but you do that again and you won't be able to be 'good' for at least a week."

"Really, Sam?" (he slides one arm around her waist and pulls her close.)

"Yes, really, Steve." (but her voice doesn't hold as much conviction as it did.)

"Nope, don't think so." (His other hand is playing with her hair, and her voice has definitely lost its threatening timbre.)

"You don't?"

"C'mon, Sam, you know you would never do anything to keep me from being 'good'." (Now he's dropping light kisses all over her face.)

"Steve?"

"Hmmm?" (Now he's nuzzling her neck.)

"Stop!" (And she pushes him away and backs up a few feet leaving him with a disbelieving look on his face.)

"You've got to be kidding me."

"This is important. Caroline's parents are going to be here in a few days for the wedding, and she's back pedaling about telling Danny they're coming. This could get ugly."

"Do I look like I'm worried about Danny? Come here."

"Fine. You're not worried about Danny, but I am. This thing between him and Caroline is working, and I do not want to have to pick up the pieces if it goes south; especially when we're trying to get married!"

"Okay. Why won't she tell him they're coming?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know."

"No, and she didn't want to talk about it because they were, uh, you know, busy."

"Good for them. _I'd_ like to get busy. Come here."

"We've already been 'busy', and I want to talk about this."

(Frustration is etched all over his face as he puts his hands on his hips, looks away for a moment, and then turns back to her with _the look_.)

"Fine, let's talk about it. One, it's none of our business. Two, without knowing why Caroline won't tell him, there's nothing to talk about. Come. Here."

"No, Steve."

"Fine."

(And he starts walking determinedly toward her. She starts backing up but quickly realizes her tactical error when her back hits the wall behind her and she can't retreat any further. Steve keeps coming and places both of his hands on the wall on either side of her so she can't escape and doesn't stop until he's right up against her – ALL of him. His voice is silky smooth and low.)

"There's nothing we can do about whether or not Caroline gives Danny a heads up about her parents coming to Hawaii, Sam, but there is definitely something we can do about this stand-off."

"Is this a stand-off? I'd call it a no-win situation."

"Oh, I'm going to win, alright."

(His hands move from the wall to her body and he yanks her up hard against the solid wall of his chest. Her head falls back so that she's looking up into his heated gaze, and instantly all the fight goes out of her. Pulling his face down to hers, Sam welcomes his kiss. Steve picks her up and in moments is laying her on his bed. Sitting up, he pulls his shirt over his head and throws it on the floor before leaning back down to possess her mouth again. Sam's hands run over his muscular shoulders and her nails rake his back when his teeth graze the tender flesh of her neck. Sam's breath is becoming labored and she is astounded at what this man can do to her in the blink of an eye. Steve grasps the bottom of Sam's tee shirt and pulls it up, his mouth latching onto her nipple before it's even over her head. The sudden hiss of her indrawn breath lets him know that she is more than a willing participant in this game. Steve knows that Sam is worried about whether or not she's going the get the leave she requested for their wedding and now she's worried about Caroline. He's determined to get her mind off anything negative and knows exactly how to make her forget everything but him. Her hands are working on the zipper of his jeans, and when he pulls her shorts down her long legs and drops them to the floor, he leaves her just long enough to shed his jeans, as well. He takes her breath away; just looking at Steve, at his finely sculpted body, muscles flexing with his every movement, and the look on his face and the heat in his gaze that tells Sam he is just as desperate for her as she is for him, ratchets the tension building inside Sam way up. Within seconds, he has slipped inside her and sets a pace that drives her insane. It isn't long before Sam finds release and takes him with her. Minutes later, Sam finds herself wrapped securely in the steel bands of his arms and receives and utterly sweet kiss.)

"I love you, Sam."

"Love you, too, Sailor."


	8. Chapter 8

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 17, 2010

(Sam is in a state of pleasant mindlessness when she remembers there are steaks on the grill and sits bolt upright completely confusing Steve.)

"Oh my God, Steve, the steaks!"

"Damn! I've got them."

(And both of them move very quickly to save dinner. Sam can't help but laugh at the sight of Steve trying to put on his jeans while also trying to run out to the grill. She's in the kitchen having just checked on the potatoes when he comes back inside with a relieved look on his face.)

"Steaks are fine. Probably be another ten minutes."

"Hey, I like mine bloody."

"I know, but they're really thick, thank God."

"You're going to have to get a grip on this lust thing you've got going on, Commander."

"Lust thing _I've_ got going on? "

"Okay, I've got a bad case of it, too. Can't help myself."

"Me, either. I will never be able to get enough of you, Sam."

(Caroline has been acting a little strangely since she got off the phone with Sam, and Danny, being the sharp detective that he is, knows that whatever it is that's got her bent out of shape involves him. They had been on the verge of moving to her bedroom when Sam called, and Caroline's attitude cooled considerably during the conversation. Danny leans against the counter in her kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest and watches her as she nervously moves from the dishwasher to the refrigerator to the sink. When he can't take it anymore, he grabs her arm and pulls her to him.)

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"Yeah, there is. Tell me."

"Really. Nothing's wrong. It's just that. . . My parents are flying in from the mainland for the wedding in a few days."

"You haven't told them about me."

"Well, um, no."

"Okay. Caroline, if you don't want your parents to know we're seeing each other . . "

"No! Danny, you don't understand. It's not my parents knowing we're seeing each other that has me worried; it's what will happen when they do know. I can just hear my mother, 'It's so nice to meet you, Detective Williams, when are you going to marry my daughter?'"

(Danny's expression is totally blank for a few seconds and then he starts laughing, and Caroline is completely dumbfounded.)

"That's it? That's what has you so bent out of shape?"

"This isn't funny, Danny. You don't know my mother."

"I know her daughter, and she's an amazing woman I've come to care for a great deal. Caroline, I promise you there's nothing anyone, including your parents, could do or say to make me want to end this."

"Okay. You've been warned."

(The very moment Tony Montgomery takes Kono into his arms and his lips touch hers she realizes that this man is completely different from any she's ever dated. Her heart does a funny, little flip-flop when he pulls back and looks at her with a small smile on his face. They start walking again with his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, and Kono is definitely feeling the butterflies in her stomach.)

"I meant what I said, Kono. Having a relationship with a SEAL isn't easy. You're only the fourth woman I've dated in almost five years. None of the others could deal with the demands of my job. Although I couldn't tell you why, I think you're made of stronger stuff than those other women, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable or unhappy. We can walk away as friends and leave it at that if you want."

"About that second date. . . "

"Tomorrow night, too soon? One of the guys on the team and his wife are having a cookout at their house."

"I'd love to go, Tony."


	9. Chapter 9

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER NINE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 18, 2010

(Kono is already in her office when the other three get to work the following morning, and she's doing a lot of smiling. Chin looks at his cousin with curiosity, Danny frowns, and Steve gives her a high five; which further heightens both Chin's and Danny's suspicions. Around mid-morning, they catch her in the hall outside the conference room. Both of them are standing there with their arms crossed looking like older brothers who are highly displeased with their little sister.)

"You're looking awfully happy about something, Cuz."

"It's a beautiful day. Beautiful days always make me happy."

"Pretty much every day's a beautiful day here, Kono. What's so special about this one?"

"Why does there have to be anything special about this one, Danny?" (and she starts giggling; not laughing – _giggling_, and they know.)

"Who is he?"

"Who's who?"

"The guy who gave you the giggles."

"I do not have the giggles, Chin." (but there she goes again.)

(Steve is on the phone in his office, but, when he looks up and sees the face-off going on in the hall, he quickly ends his conversation with H.P.D. and walks out to back-up Kono. He stands behind her with his hands in his pockets and a perfectly innocent look on his face.)

"Not only do you have the giggles, but you're borderline euphoric!"

"What if I am, Danny? What? You two think I should frown and be grumpy all the time?"

"No, that's Steve's job."

"Give it up, Cuz. Tell us who he is."

"Why? So you can run a background check on him?"

"Yes!" (This from both Danny and Chin.)

"Guys, while I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

"Fine. You can take care of yourself. Who is he?"

"How long have you been, uh, you know, Cuz?"

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, Kono, you've got to be sleeping with the guy. What else would have put that smile on your face?"

"Danny's got a point, Kono."

(Steve realizes that Kono's completely pissed by now and that things are about to get very ugly so he takes a step forward to intercede. Kono, however, throws up a hand to stop him. Her eyes are blazing with pure fury and her mouth is set in a grim line. Praying that he's not going to have to call the Paramedics for either Danny or Chin or both of them, he stops in his tracks and crosses his arms over his chest.)

"I'm over twenty-one and who I date or sleep with, for that matter, is _none of your business_! But, because I realize that the two of you feel you have to look out for me, although God only knows why because I can take both of you down and you know it, I am going to explain this to you and then the discussion is over. I had my first date last night with one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He treated me with more courtesy and respect than the two of you have this morning, and he's not the least bit threatened by the fact that I'm a police officer and could kick _his_ ass if I wanted to. He waited for _permission _to kiss me, which he only did twice; once on the beach and again when he took me home and kissed me goodnight _outside_ the door to my apartment! I am totally in like with this guy _because_ he didn't try to do me last night, but I'm going out with him again tonight, and **that** will most definitely happen if I have anything to say about it!

(She storms off to her office leaving the three men staring after her in various states of shock.)

"Did she just tell us she was going to ."

"Yeah, Danny, she did."

"Wow."

"Guys, I know who Kono's dating. He's a good guy. Trust me."

"How come you know who it is and she won't tell us?"

"I just know, okay, Danny?"

"No, not okay. Who is this guy?"

"Kono will tell you when's she wants you to know."

"C'mon, Steve, if anything happens to Kono, my entire family will be all over me. Who is it?"

"Nope, uh unh, not going to tell you. It's Kono's business."

"And what if this guy turns out to be a real jerk and ends up hurting her?"

"This guy is not a jerk, but if he does hurt our girl, _I'll_ take him out."

(Both Danny and Chin glare at him but don't press him to tell them who Kono's seeing. Steve breathes a sigh of relief when they finally go back to their offices. As he is returning to his own office his cellular phone rings and he smiles because it's Sam.)

"Hello, Beautiful."

"Hey, Sailor, what are you doing?"

"Watching Kono put Danny and Chin in their place."

"Good for her! I talked to Capt. Tyler."

"And?"

"He approved my leave. We can get married a week from Saturday."

(Kono, Danny, and Chin all hear the extremely exuberant "Yes!" that comes through the closed door of Steve's office, and smiles appear on their faces as they figure out what caused his outburst.)

"How about I take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. Caroline, Kono, and I are going shopping for wedding stuff."

"Wouldn't count on Kono. She has a date, and I'm pretty sure she's not going to want to cancel."

"Really? Who is it?"

"Can't; need to know."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not."

"Hold that thought about going out to dinner. I'll get back with you. Love you."

"I love you, too, Sam."


	10. Chapter 10

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 20, 2010

(Sam walks out of her office and down to Caroline's so they can discuss the shopping expedition. Caroline is on the phone when Sam walks in and it doesn't take her long to figure out she's talking to Danny; Caroline has a silly little grin on her face and she's even blushing slightly. As soon as Caroline spots Sam, she ends the conversation and hangs ups.)

"Hey, you didn't have to get off the phone on my account."

"Yes, I did. The conversation was getting a little . . out of hand. Danny has quite an imagination."

"And you love it. Listen, about the shopping thing tonight . ."

"Say no more. You're leave's been approved, Steve wants to take you out to dinner and Kono's got a date with a mystery man."

"My work here is done."

"We still have to go shopping, Sam. Especially since this wedding's taking place in ten days."

"I have my dress, we have the dresses for you and Kono and Grace, the flowers are handled, the minister and location are handled, we've got the reception covered, and Steve swears he has the honeymoon taken care of; what else is left to do?"

"Lots of things trust me. Danny and I talked about my parents coming."

"And?"

"And he's really good with it."

"Of course, he is. I don't know what you were so worried about. Danny is a great guy; your parents will love him."

"Yeah, see, that's the thing. My mother has it in her head that I'm wasting away and will die a spinster. I'm scared she's going to say or do something totally outrageous."

"Your mother's awesome! She won't embarrass you."

"Yeah, well, we'll see. So, okay, we'll reschedule the shopping thing until tomorrow night, okay?"

"Okay."

(Sam is calling Steve back before she's out of Caroline's office to tell him she will be free for dinner. Steve tells her that there's been a slight change in plans and they're going to a cookout at the home of Chief Petty Officer Dean Dodd and his wife Lisa, and asks if that's okay.)

"The guy helped save my life, Steve, Of course it's okay, except I think we need to do something nice for all your SEALS. You know, to thank them for volunteering to help you extract me."

"And we will, _after_ we get married, Beautiful. We'll have them all over to the house and grill out or something. Listen, Sam, Kono's going to be at this thing tonight, but keep that to yourself, please. She hasn't told Chin and Danny who she's dating, and it's her decision as to when to do that."

"No problem. Let me guess. . Lt. Montgomery."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I saw the way he was looking at her at my surprise party."

"He had a date that night."

"Yeah, one who was doing her best to flirt with every other man there except you."

"Really? 'Cause I didn't notice that. Of course, the only woman I noticed that night was you."

"Trust me. That woman was having way too good a time. I think he's adorable and he'll be great for Kono."

"Sam, you do not use the word 'adorable' in relation to a SEAL."

"I think you're adorable. Stud Muffin."

"This is never going away, is it?"

"Nope."

"Okay, Beautiful, have it your way."

(Sam and Steve arrive at the Dodd's house a little before seven that evening and find that Kono and Tony are already there. Sam takes one look at both of them and a knowing smile slowly spreads across her face. The other SEALS and their wives or girlfriends warmly welcome both Sam and Steve, and they eventually make their way out to the back patio where Kono and Tony are talking with Dean Dodd who's manning the grill. Sam pulls Kono aside while Steve talks with the two men so she can give her a little encouragement.)

"Hey, Steve told me about your little meeting of the minds with Chin and Danny this morning."

"Yeah, I love those guys, Sam, but sometimes they just don't know when to quit."

"I don't have any family, Kono, so I've never had to deal with well-meaning relatives the way you have, but, as big of a pain in the six as they are, at least you have people in your life who care about you."

"You have people in your life who care about you, too, Sam, and I'm not just talking about Steve."

"I know that now, Kono. Have to admit, it's a little weird, but in a good way. Lt. Montgomery is a doll, and he seems to be quite taken with you."

"He is cute, isn't he? Did Steve tell you that he waited for _permission_ before he would kiss me last night?"

"Did he now?"

"Yeah. He was so adorable."

"Don't let Steve hear you say that. He told me that 'adorable' is not a word you use when talking about a SEAL."


	11. Chapter 11

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 21, 2010

(While Sam and Kono are talking, Steve and Tony have a little talk of their own. Steve has already seen for himself how animated Kono is and how Tony's eyes are watching her with admiration and respect and . . something more.)

"Kono told me about Chin and Danny giving her the third degree about me this morning. This isn't going to be a problem, is it, Boss? I mean, I know how important team dynamics are to the success of any op, and I wouldn't want to be the cause of anything that's going to disrupt the harmony of your team. I know you have each other's backs and I do not want anything to happen to put Kono or any of the rest of you in danger."

"One, that's not going to happen, and two, once Danny and Chin realize that you're the best thing that's happened to our girl since we've been together as a team, they'll come around. You really like her, don't you, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Sir, I do. When I gave her the speech I always give women I'm interested in, you know, the one about how being a SEAL demanded most of my time, the sudden disappearances, being gone for days or weeks at a time, no phone calls, not being able to talk about where I've been or what I've been doing, she just looked me straight in the eye and proceeded to tell me virtually the same things about her job. I even told her twice, and she didn't so much as blink. I could fall hard and fast for her."

"Kono's tough. A lot of people are fooled by her appearance, but she can more than hold her own and she doesn't scare easily. Just be very careful, Lieutenant, because if you do hurt her, you won't have to worry about Danny and Chin."

(The implication that Steve himself will take care of Tony is not lost on the young man and he and Steve exchange a look that leaves no doubt that they both understand the consequences of Tony hurting Kono.)

"I swear to you, Boss, I have no intention of doing anything to hurt her. I really, really want this to work between us and I'm going to do everything I can to see that it does."

"Well, then, Lieutenant, like I told Kono, I've got your back."

"I appreciate that, Boss."

(Caroline and Danny are watching a movie at her apartment but Caroline notices Danny is distracted. She's tried to start three different conversations and his responses are basically the same for all of them so she knows his mind is elsewhere.)

"Ok, Romeo, what's got you so distracted you haven't heard a word I've said?"

"Kono's dating a guy who's got her _giggling_ at the office. _Giggling_, Caroline, like a sixteen year old."

"Really? Good for her."

"Chin and I are worried. What if this guy turns out to be a total jerk? What if he hurts her?"

"In the first place, it's none of your business, or Chin's either, even if he is her cousin, and secondly, Kono's a big girl; she can take care of herself."

"Yeah, yeah, all the same, we don't want to see her get hurt."

"What does Steve have to say about this?"

"He says he knows the guy she's dating and that he's a good guy."

"Well there you go. Problem solved. You know that Steve isn't about to let Kono, or any of you, for that matter, do anything foolish."

"Damn! Why didn't I figure this out sooner? It's got to be one of Steve's SEALS. Question is, which one?"

"Danny, you and Chin really need to stay out of this. Kono will tell you all about it when she's ready for you to know. If you two keep pushing this issue before then, all you're going to do is piss her off and create problems between the three of you. She's a highly intelligent young lady and I'm pretty sure she'd bust this guy's balls if he did something he shouldn't, so let it go."

"Family sticks together, Caroline, and we're a family."

"You won't be if you and Chin pursue this. Trust me. I've got an idea, why don't you pursue me instead? Right on into the bedroom."

(When Tony takes Kono home after the cookout, he pulls her into his arms and kisses her at the door to her apartment. Kono, however, is having none of it and pulls him inside. He looks down at her in surprise for a moment but then the expression in his beautiful blue eyes changes and his eyes darken even more. Being the highly intelligent SEAL that he is, he secures their location by locking the door behind them and follows her to her bedroom. . . .

When Sam and Steve get home and are getting ready for bed, Sam decides to "put in a good word" for Tony Montgomery although she's fairly certain she doesn't need to, at least with Steve.)

"I think Tony Montgomery is really smitten with Kono, and they look soooo, yes, I am going to say it, adorable together."

"He is and they do, but if you ever tell anyone that I used the word 'adorable' in connection with another SEAL . . ."

"You'll what?"

"Take you to bed and keep you there for a solid week."

"Oh my God, let me get my cellular phone and call everyone I know."

"Sam."

"Steve."

"Never mind. We have a honeymoon coming up in a few days, and I can keep you in bed for a solid week then."


	12. Chapter 12

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 21, 2010

(The next morning, Steve gets to work shortly after Kono and before Danny and Chin. He takes one look at her and he _knows_. Taking his coffee into her office, he offers her a little smile.)

"Guess you had something to say about it last night."

"I'm in real trouble here, Steve. This guy's amazing. I so did not want to come to work this morning. If it hadn't of been for the fact that he had to be at the base at 0700, I would have been severely tempted to call you and ask for the day off."

"If you're going to 'glow' like that all day, you'd better tell Danny and Chin who you're seeing. Maybe once they know who it is they'll back off."

"I'm glowing?

(She giggles and Steve can't help but laugh. If Kono and Tony have anything going on in the sex department that's a tenth of what he has with Sam 'amazing' doesn't begin to cover it.)

"Yeah, you are. I'm happy for you, Kono, I really am. I know Tony warned you about the pitfalls of dating a SEAL, but you need to understand that he wasn't playing around. Dean Dodd's the only member of the team who's married, and his wife's father and two of her brothers are SEALS, so she really understands what it's like to be involved romantically with one. I don't want to see you get hurt, so please be careful."

"Steve, I really do appreciate you and Danny and Chin wanting to look out for me, but I understand everything Tony told me. You told me not long ago that you do what you have to when you want something badly enough. I want this relationship with Tony to work, and I'm going to do everything humanly possible to make that happen; especially after last night."

"Fair enough. If it starts getting to you, come talk to me."

"Absolutely and, I will tell Danny and Chin who I'm seeing as soon as they get in. Thanks, Brah."

"Anytime."

(And true to her word, as soon as Danny and Chin get to the office, Kono stops them in the conference room and tells them what's going on with her. Steve decides to join them because he promised her he'd back her up and leans against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest as Kono breaks the news.)

"Morning, guys."

"Cuz."

"Kono."

"I am seeing Lt. Tony Montgomery. He's one of Steve's SEALS and he was on the op to extract Sam from Kabul. He's one of the good guys."

"Told Caroline it was one of Steve's SEALs. Just didn't know which one. Okay."

"That's it? Okay?"

"Yeah. Caroline pointed out that you'd really get pissed with us if we kept hounding you about this, and, Kono, I do not want you pissed with me, so, okay."

"And I'm sorry I was being so nosy, Cuz. You were right; who you date is your business. Just know that we're here if you need us."

"I love you guys, and I do know you're here. Just do me a favor and don't threaten to shoot him when you see him, please."

"Not to worry. You'd beat us to it if you thought it necessary."

"No, Chin, she'd kick his balls so hard they'd be oozing out his nostrils if she though it necessary."


	13. Chapter 13

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(The next couple of days pass by rather routinely and the weekend finally arrives. Caroline's parents are due to fly in on Saturday afternoon and Caroline has become more and more nervous as time has gone by. Friday night Sam and Steve, Caroline and Danny, and Kono and Tony all have dates. Sam and Steve have just left the restaurant where they had dinner and are walking down the street toward the parking lot when all Hell breaks loose. One minute they're laughing and talking and the next a car is flying down the street and shots are being fired toward the people on the sidewalk. Steve reacts immediately and shoves Sam into the doorway of a store while drawing his weapon with the other hand. He gets off a couple of shots but the car is speeding away. Sam looks around to find that, although several people fell to the ground when the shooting started, they are getting to their feet and appear to be unhurt. She turns to check the other direction and her heart stops. Steve is lying on the sidewalk, unmoving, and blood has soaked his shirt and is rapidly forming a puddle beneath him. Snatching her cell phone from her back pocket, she dials 911, falls to her knees beside Steve's very still body, and tries to locate his wounds so she can try to stop the bleeding. . .

Caroline and Danny have just finished eating when Danny's cellular phone rings. Within seconds of answering the call, the color drains from his face and he has grabbed Caroline's hand and is almost running out of the restaurant talking on the phone the entire time. Caroline is able to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation and realizes that Steve has been hurt somehow. As soon as he ends that call, he's making one to the Governor.

Kono and Tony have just left one of her favorite restaurants on the beach and are debating on whether or not to go see a movie when her cellular phone rings. Within a matter of minutes, they are on the way to the hospital/

Chin is just about to leave his house to meet some of his cousins for dinner when his cellular phone rings and he, too, is headed to the hospital within minutes.. .

When Danny and Caroline arrive at the Emergency Room, Danny flashes his badge and they are allowed to enter the E.R. proper, and see a large group of doctors and nurses working over Steve. He is extremely pale and unconscious; blood is everywhere and terse orders are being shouted right and left. A nurse sends them out to the crowded waiting room where mass confusion reigns as there are many people waiting to be seen in the E.R. and the addition of numerous H.P.D. Officers has added to the chaos. Sam is standing at the Registration Desk trying to get some information about Steve from the woman sitting there. Her voice is raw with pain, her white top and jeans are covered with blood as are her hands and arms, and there are a few smudges on her face. When Danny calls her name, her head snaps around and the sight of her tear-stained face makes his heart twist. He pulls her to him and holds her tightly while heart-wrenching sobs rack her body and they step away from the desk.)

"Sam, are you hurt?"

"No, Danny. This . . this is . . Steve's blood. Please see if you can find out if he's alive. They won't tell me anything."

"Hang tight, Sweetheart, I'll be right back."

(He heads to the Nurse's Station while Caroline, who's crying, too, steers Sam toward a couch, sits down next to her and tries to comfort her friend. Within a matter of minutes, Kono, Tony, and Chin have arrived, and Tony calls the rest of the SEAL team. Danny comes back to the waiting area and kneels down in front of Sam.)

"They won't tell me much of anything, either, Sam, but I did find out that Steve is alive although his injuries are very serious. They're going to be taking him to Surgery in a few minutes."

"I want to see him!"

"Sam, Honey, they're working on him and they need to get him upstairs as quickly as the can."

"He can't die, Danny, he can't! (She is crying like a baby now and Danny again pulls her close and tries his best to comfort her. The other people in the group feel helpless and don't know what to do for either Sam or themselves.)


	14. Chapter 14

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(By the time Gov. Jameson arrives with her aides, Steve is in surgery and Sam and his friends are in a private waiting room upstairs. The Governor goes straight to Sam, who is sitting on a couch between Danny and Caroline. Danny stands as the Governor approaches and the Governor takes his seat and places a motherly arm around Sam's trembling shoulders.)

"Sam, my dear, I am so terribly sorry this has happened. You must know that the doctors are doing everything possible for Steve."

"Yes, Ma'am. I know. He lo. .lost so much bl . .blood!"

"And they will give him more." (She calls to one of her aides.) "Marilyn? Please go to the Nurse's Station and ask them for a pair of scrubs for Lt. Cmdr. Murdock. . . . Let's get you into some clean clothes and cleaned up, Sam. Hopefully, you'll feel a little better."

"The Governor's right, Sam. And . . . We'll need your clothes for evidence."

(Sam looks at Danny in complete confusion for a moment and then nods her head slowly. While the Governor's aide is gone, the Governor speaks with Sam for a few more minutes and then pulls Danny, Kono, and Chin to the side as Tony takes the seat on the other side of Sam.)

"What the Hell happened, Det. Williams?"

"We're still trying to figure that out, Gov. Jameson. H.P.D.'s working the scene, but the witness statements, including Sam's are all the same. A late model black SUV passed the restaurant where Sam and Steve had just had dinner at a high rate of speed, two gunmen opened fire and sprayed the sidewalk, and the SUV took off. Everyone inside the vehicle was wearing ski masks so no one got a look at any of them, and there were no plates on the vehicle. We're pulling footage from several security cameras in the area now."

"So you're treating this as a 'drive-by shooting' for the moment?"

"We're not treating it as anything right now. H.P.D. won't turn it over to us."

"Well, we'll just see about that, Det. Kelly." (She asks another aide to get the Chief of Police on the phone.) "As soon as I complete this call, Hawaii Five-0 will be in charge of this investigation. Det. Williams, I'm putting you in charge. Find the people who shot Lt. Cmdr. McGarrett and find them quickly."

(Her aide hands her a cellular phone, and Danny, Chin, and Kono discuss strategy. Marilyn returns with a pair of clean scrubs and some towels and tells Sam that she can use the Nurses' private shower at the desk. The Governor snaps the cellular phone she was using shut and rejoins the Hawaii Five-0 group.)

"This investigation is now yours and you will have the full cooperation of H.P.D. should you require their assistance. I'm not so sure this is just a random, drive-by shooting, Det. Williams. Cmdr. McGarrett has enemies out there."

"Yes, Ma'am. We're aware of that, and we're going to treat this as if he or Lt. Cmdr. Murdock were the targets. This could be some sort of retribution for the failed arms deal a few weeks ago. I'm going to ask that H.P.D. put people on the hospital and Steve's house, and anytime Sam goes anywhere, Off. Kalakaua will be with her."

"Sounds like a wise decision. I want to regular updates on this. You can reach me either here or by phone. I've spoken with the hospital administrator and we're taking over this area for the foreseeable future."

(Kono and Caroline accompany Sam to the desk and wait there while she takes a quick shower to wash away Steve's blood and changes into the scrubs. Kono puts Sam's clothes into a plastic bag and gives them to an H.P.D. evidence tech., and the three young women return to the private waiting room where the Governor, good as her word, sits and waits with them. After speaking with Tony and being assured that he and the rest of Steve's SEALs will remain at the hospital with Sam as extra security, Danny and Chin head out to the scene of the shooting. Caroline grabs  
Danny just before he leaves, kisses him hard and fast, and tells him to be careful; her voice quavering and tears in her eyes. For several hours, Sam, Caroline, Kono, Tony, Gov. Jameson, and the other SEALs wait for word on Steve's condition. Sam is doing her best to keep it together, but fear is slithering through her like a thousand snakes, and she is white as a sheet. Gov. Jameson has her aides arrange for food to be brought to the waiting room, but Sam either can't or won't eat. She alternates between pacing the room, standing at the window staring out into the night, or sitting on the couch and staring blindly at the wall, and Caroline, Kono, and the Governor are all worried about her. Kono is getting sporadic reports from both Danny and Chin, but there's nothing very solid to report. Kono is very grateful that Tony is there because, quite frankly, she's a little shaky. Caroline, torn between worrying about Sam and Steve and her fears for Danny's safety, is nearly a basket case herself.)


	15. Chapter 15

**is Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He had saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(The sun is just starting to rise when Danny and Chin return to the hospital. They have very little to report, and both of them look nearly defeated. Sam has dark circles under her eyes which hold a haunted expression. Finally, a doctor dressed in scrubs comes into the room and approaches Gov. Jameson who is standing near the window with Sam.)

"Governor, I'm Dr. Kincaid. I understand you're here awaiting information on . McGarrett."

"I am, Doctor, but this is Lt. Cmdr. Samantha Murdock, Cmdr. McGarrett's fiancée. She is who you need to be speaking with regarding his condition."

"I see. Well, Cmdr. McGarrett was shot twice. One of the bullets did little more than graze him but the other one did extensive damage to his abdominal area and nicked a renal artery. We had a Hell of a time getting the internal bleeding stopped but we did it. His condition is extremely critical at the moment. He lost a lot of blood and went into shock because of it. We've made the surgical repairs, we're giving him blood, and he's on a ventilator. If he makes it through the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours, he has a good chance for a full recovery. Right now, it's up to God and Cmdr. McGarrett."

"I want to see him."

"Cmdr. Murdock, he's going to be in S.I.C.U. for quite some time and only family members are allowed to visit for fifteen minutes at a time, three times a day."

"I. Want. To. See. Him.!"

"The hospital has policies, Cmdr. Surely you under . . ."

"!"

"Governor?"

"To Hell with hospital policies! I want a chair placed in Cmdr. McGarrett's room for Lt. Cmdr. Murdock, and I want her to have unlimited access to that chair. If you cannot make this happen, I will call the hospital administrator. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am, quite clear. I'll see to it. Cmdr. McGarrett will be moved to the unit shortly. I'll have a nurse notify you when you can . . join him, Cmdr. Murdock."

(The doctor, although not at all happy with the Governor's orders, takes his leave, and Sam's knees finally give out. If it were not for Danny catching her, she would have fallen to the floor on the spot. He eases her to a chair and does his best to comfort her. The Governor, however, takes charge with a "no nonsense" approach.)

"Sam, if you're going to be any good to Steve at all, you have to pull yourself together, and you need to eat something. I'm going to have one of my aides bring you some breakfast and you're going to eat every bite of it."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Perhaps Lt. Thrasher can go out to the house and get you some fresh clothes. I'm sure you'll feel much better when you're wearing your own things."

"I'd be glad to go get you some things, Sam. Won't be gone long."

(Within a matter of minutes, Sam is eating breakfast under the watchful eye of Gov. Jameson, Caroline, accompanied by one of Steve's SEALs and an H.P.D. Officer is on her way to Steve's house to get some things for Sam, and Danny and Chin are on their way to the office. Shortly after Caroline gets back, and Sam has changed into a pair of her own jeans and a sleeveless tee shirt, a nurse comes to get her and take her to Steve. When she enters the cubicle where Steve is lying, Sam nearly loses it. He is nearly as white as the sheets on his bed, tubes carrying blood and i.v. fluids run into both arms, wires from the heart monitor snake out from under the hospital gown covering him, a ventilator tube sends life-sustaining air into his lungs, and there are various beeps, clicks and other machine noises filling the room. Sam's chair is on the far side of the bed and she sits down and takes his still, cool hand into both of hers, closes her eyes, and starts to pray. . . .

Steve awakens to incredible pain shooting throughout his entire body, and slowly opens his eyes. It takes him a minute to focus and, when he does, he is surprised to find himself in his room at home and both his mother and father sitting beside his bed. His mother's sweet smile sends comfort flooding through him.)

"Mom?"

"Hello, Son. How are you feeling?"

"I hurt, Mom, everywhere."

"I imagine you do, Steve. You were shot."

"I remember. . . Sam! Oh my God, Mom, where's Sam? Is she all right?"

"Samantha is just fine, Son."

"Where is she?"

"She's at the hospital."

"Hospital? Why am I . . Oh, God. Mom, am I dead?"

"Of course not."

"Then why am I here? Why are you and Dad here? Why is Sam at the hospital if she's all right?"

"All in good time, Steve. Now you need to rest."

(His parents' faces slowly fade into blackness and Steve drifts in a dreamless state, but the warmth of the hands holding his remain with him and he clings to their steadying comfort. He drifts for a while, thoughts of Sam filling his mind's eye. He sees her as she looked the first time he saw her; so beautiful in her uniform sitting in a chair in the lecture hall at San Diego N.A.S. waiting for the conference to start, the smile she sent him when he took the seat next to her, her emerald green eyes sparkling with laughter when he literally ran her down to ask her out to dinner at the end of the day. His thoughts shift to the time they spent in Venice when they were both able to get leave. He can clearly see her standing on the deck of a sailboat they rented to tour the canals with the wind blowing her silky, golden hair behind her and her face turned up to the sun. The way her eyes darkened when he made love to her that night on the deck in the middle of the ocean. Another image floats into his head, this one of Sam climbing out of the cockpit of her jet after flying air support for an op his SEAL team ran in Afghanistan, and wanting to kiss her so badly he could barely stand it, but knowing that they'd both be in big trouble if he walked onto the flight deck and did so. Then the image of her tied to a chair in the terrorist's compound in Kabul a few weeks ago enters his thoughts, and anger flares. . . . Steve begins to moan and becomes restless, and the beeping of the heart monitor increases. A nurse hurries into his room and makes some adjustments to his i.v. lines, but Sam's calm, steady voice softly telling him everything's okay is what seems to calm him down. . . . Steve opens his eyes to find himself sitting on the beach behind his house. The sun is just starting to set and it's very peaceful. From behind him, he hears voices and turns to see his parents and another couple close to their ages walking toward him. He stands and turns to face them as they reach him.)

"You must be feeling better, Son."

"I am, Dad, but I'm worried about Sam."

(The other gentleman smiles at Steve as he speaks.)

"Sam's fine, Commander. I promise you."

"And you are?"

"Jonathan, and this is my wife Anne. We're friends of you parents."

(His mother speaks to him now.)

"You're doing very well, Son, but you have a long way to go. It will not be easy, and you're going to have to make a decision."

"What decision, Mom?"

"Whether to stay here with us or not."


	16. Chapter 16

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(Late in the afternoon, Caroline, along with one of the SEALs, picks her parents up from the airport. As soon as her mother hears about what's happened, she is determined to go straight to the hospital and not their hotel. Mrs. Thrasher has been a second mother to Sam since her own died when Sam was seventeen, and she insists on going to Sam. Knowing better than to argue, Caroline calls Kono and lets her know what's going on while her parents get their luggage. Danny, Chin, Kono, and Gov. Jameson meet at the Nurses' Station to compare notes and updates.)

"Well, Det. Williams?"

"There's nothing we can use on any of the security footage. We've been over it a hundred times and there's nothing there. We're re-canvassing the area near the crime scene, but I'm not holding out much hope. I had Sam's car towed to the H.P.D. forensics lab, but, other than her prints and Steve's, it's clean, and there were no signs of tampering."

"So we still don't definitively know if she or Cmdr. McGarrett were the intended targets or if the shooting was random?"

"No, Governor, we don't."

"How's Sam, Cuz?"

"She's been with Steve all day."

(A nurse who is a native Hawaiian, appears to be around Chin's age, and is gorgeous has been charting on the other side of the desk, and cannot help but add her opinion; her nametag identifies her as Lana Palea.)

"Cmdr. Murdock is going to make herself sick. She's been in there talking to Cmdr. McGarrett all day long."

"Talking to him?" (This from the Governor.)

"Yes. She talked about the day they met and a vacation they took together in Venice. At least, that's what I overheard when I was in there checking on his i.v. fluids. She needs to eat something, walk around the hall, take a break."

"I'll have one of my aides get her something now, Ms. Palea, but could you make a note and have a tray sent to Cmdr. Murdock until further notice, please?"

"I'd be happy to, Gov. Jameson. In fact, I can probably have one sent up with the supper trays in a little while, and please, call me Lana."

"All right, Lana, thank you so much. If you all will excuse me, I'm going to see Cmdr. Murdock."

(Danny, Kono, and Chin, who is watching Lana Palea as she calls the hospital's kitchen, continue discussing the case and what their next move should be. Gov. Jameson quietly enters Steve's room and stands on the side of his bed opposite from Sam.)

"There's a very nice nurse on duty named Lana Palea and she's going to make sure that a food tray is sent to you when the patients receive theirs. If you don't eat, young lady, you're going to be in one of these beds yourself, and then what am I going to tell him when he wakes up and wants to know where you are? Why didn't you eat lunch?"

"I didn't want to leave Steve."

"Well, now you won't have to, but you do need to get up and move around, splash some water on your face."

"I don't want to leave Steve."

"Samantha, you've got to take a break every now and then. Tell you what, you go take a quick walk, down to the Nurses' Station and back, and I'll stay here with him. Promise."

(Realizing that the Governor's not going to take 'no' for an answer, Sam agrees to take a quick walk and waits until Gov. Jameson has taken Steve's other hand in one of hers until she lets go and, with a promise to be right back, walks out of the room . . .


	17. Chapter 17

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(Steve opens his eyes and finds he's in his bed at home and he's all alone. There's no sign of Sam; not even her scent on the bedclothes. His heart aches with missing her, and he also realizes that he's missing the comforting feeling he's had up until now. Hearing voices, he gets up and walks outside to find his parents and their friends, Jonathan and Anne, sitting on the deck. They all look up and smile at him when he walks outside and sits in one of the chairs.)

"You're looking much better, Commander."

"Thanks, Anne. I'm feeling a little better, but I'm worried about Sam."

"Son, we've told you, Sam is fine."

"No, Dad, she's not! I've figured this out, at least some of it. Mom said Sam's at the hospital so if she is and she isn't hurt, then she's got to be there with _me_. I was shot, so Sam's there with me, and this is some kind of weird dream I'm having because _I'm the one lying in a hospital bed._ I'm probably hooked up to all kinds of I.V.'s and machines, and Sam's scared to death I'm going to die or something while I'm sitting out here with the four of you enjoying the sunset! I want to see Sam. I need to see Sam. Don't you understand? _I love Sam!_"

(Jonathan speaks to Steve with a knowing look on his face.)

"And she loves you, Commander. You must be patient."

"Why? Why do I have to be patient? I just want to be with Sam."

(He stalks off down the beach and the four people sitting on the deck watch him with expressions that are bittersweet. . . . Sam comes back into Steve's room just as he begins to get restless and immediately sits down and takes his hand in hers. The moment she touches him he begins to settle down, and when she places a gentle kiss on the top of his hand, he quiets down even more. The Governor and Lana Palea are amazed. Leaving Sam with Steve, they quietly slip out of the room. Sam decides to tell Steve about another time they were together; this time in Miami. . . . Steve walks quite a ways down the beach and is reminded of another beach, this one in Miami, when he and Sam managed to get together. They were walking along the beach at midnight, he had taken her to a very nice restaurant for dinner and she looked so beautiful with her hair blowing gently around her face and shoulders and carrying her heeled sandals with one hand and holding his with the other. He remembers telling her the beaches in Hawaii could put this one to shame, and Sam saying that she looked forward to a midnight walk with him on a Hawaiian beach some day. Shoving his hands in his pockets in frustration, he desperately tries to figure out what he has to do to get back to Sam. He can almost hear her voice begging him to come back to her, and it's driving him crazy. . . Dr. Kincaid comes in and checks on Steve's condition and tells Sam that he is trying to breathe on his own so they are going to remove him from the ventilator. Although this is a good sign, the doctor warns Sam that they may have to put him right back on the machine and cautions her not to get her hopes up. . . . Steve makes up his mind that he's going to have a talk with his parents and tell them he needs to be with Sam, and he turns around and heads back toward the house. His strength and resolve strengthen with every step he takes, and, by the time he reaches the four people on the deck, he has _the look_ on his face.)

"Mom, Dad, we need to talk."

"Made up your mind, have you, Son?"

"Yes, Sir, I have. I love Sam with all my heart. I can't leave her. As much as I love you, I just can't leave Sam. I want to go back to her. Tell me how."

"We can't, Steve. That's something you must figure out for yourself."

"Damn it!"

(Anne speaks up.)

"The answer is within you, Commander; you have but to find it."

"Yeah. Do you people think you could possibly speak in a few more riddles?"

"But we aren't speaking in riddles, Steve."

"Yeah, Mom, you are. You and Dad are dead, and I'm assuming Jonathan and Anne are, too. You tell me I'm not, yet here I am talking to you, so either I am dead and this is some kind of really cruel punishment for God only knows what, or I'm having one, wicked dream."

"Samantha is waiting for you, Commander. When you are truly ready, you will return to her." (This from Jonathan.)

"I'm ready now, damn it!"

"No, Son, you are not. Be patient, Steve."

"Mom, if you tell me to be patient once more, I'm going to . . to . . You know what? Never mind."

(And he stalks off toward the house full of anger. . . Sam is standing just outside Steve's room with Danny watching as they remove the tube and monitor Steve's respiratory efforts for a few minutes. She is squeezing Danny's hand so tightly that she has nearly cut off the circulation, but he wouldn't say anything to her for the world. His other arm is around her waist and he can feel her trembling as they wait to see if Steve is going to be able to breathe on his own. Finally, Dr. Kincaid walks out to join them and actually smiles.)

"He's doing just fine, Commander. I must admit that I'm very surprised he's doing this well so soon, but, if he continues at the rate he's going, he should completely recover."

"When is he going to wake up?"

"That I don't know. The human body is an amazing machine. When we are severely injured, such as the type of injury Cmdr. McGarrett sustained, our body sometimes puts itself into an unconscious state so that it will have time to heal. Cmdr. McGarrett could come around at any time or he could remain in this state for a few more hours or days. As I said, we've done all we can do for him. It's up to God, Cmdr. McGarrett, and, it seems, you, now."

(The doctor pats Sam on the shoulder and walks away and Danny has a smile on his face when he turns to Sam. His smile, however, quickly changes to a look of concern when he sees that she is just about to collapse. He quickly moves her into Steve's room and sits her down just as the tears start to fall in earnest. She quickly takes Steve's hand in hers and Danny realizes that she's been running on pure adrenaline since Steve was shot."

"Sam, Sweetheart, you've got to get some rest; some real rest. You can't keep sitting in this chair 24/7."

"I'm not going anywhere until Steve wakes up, and I'm not going far then."

"Sam . . "

"No, Danny! I'm not leaving him! Not ever. . . Have you found out who shot him and why?"

"Not yet."

"And I know you won't stop until you do, so please don't ask me to leave him, Danny, because I won't."

"Fair enough. He's going to get through this, Sam. We all are."

"I know."


	18. Chapter 18

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(Danny reports to the group in the private waiting room and let's them all know that Steve is off the ventilator; news that is greeted with smiles and sighs of relief. So excited was he to share the news of Steve's progress that he slipped his arm around Caroline when he entered the room without noticing the two older people standing near her. When he finishes telling everyone about Steve, he turns to Caroline and gives her a quick kiss. Her face is priceless.)

"Uh, Danny, I'd like for you to meet my parents, Adm. and Mrs. Michael Thrasher."

(Now Danny's face is priceless and Kono is having a hard time containing her laughter. In fact, she has a sudden fit of coughing that has Tony jumping to get her some water. The attractive older couple standing next to Caroline are looking at Danny with quite a bit of interest, and Danny starts to sweat. Caroline's father offers him his hand, which Danny takes somewhat woodenly, and finally offers him a small smile.)

"Good to meet you, Det. Williams. Caroline's told us a great deal about you. May I introduce my wife, Elizabeth?"

"Um, how do you do, Ma'am? It's, uh, it's good to meet you, too."

"Ah, Det. Williams, the pleasure is all ours. I know you're busy leading this investigation right now, but we must sit down and talk as soon as you have the time."

"Uh, yes, Ma'am. As soon as I have the time. Excuse me, Kono, Chin, could I see you outside for a minute?"

(Once the three are outside the private waiting room and Kono has finally stopped laughing, Danny shoots her a death glare and an accusatory one at Chin.)

"Neither one of you could give me a 'heads up' that Caroline's parents were here?"

"And when were we supposed to do that?"

"Oh, I don't know, Kono, maybe _before_ I kissed their daughter in front of a room full of people!"

"C'mon, Danny, we've all been so worried about Steve and trying to get a lead in this case that none of us have had time to take a deep breath."

"Yeah, Chin, I know. . Listen, I've been thinking about this. I think that either Steve or Sam or both of them were definitely the targets of this shooting."

"I agree. The shooter's made sure they couldn't be identified, took the license plates off the vehicle, it all adds up to a professional hit."

"So who do we know who would want to put a professional hit out on Steve and/or Sam?"

(The three look at one another but Danny's question is really rhetorical because they all say the name at the exact same time.)

"Dimitri Kasavich."

"Exactly. I'm going to call Adm. Harte and see if any of the alphabets have picked up any chatter on him lately. Kono, check all international flights for any of his know aliases, especially those originating in the Middle East. Chin, see if you can find anything on his financials. I'm going to let Tony Montgomery know who we think is behind this; maybe he can pick up some intel through his connections with the Navy."

"We need access to secure computers to do this, Danny. How are we going to protect Sam and Steve?"

"That's where working for the Governor comes in handy, Chin. Hang on."

(Danny pulls out his cellular phone, calls Gov. Jameson and explains what he wants, and hangs up with a smile on his face.)

"Gov. Jameson will have secure computers installed in the private waiting room within the hour. In the meantime, let's not share this with anyone but Tony, and especially not with Sam. She's hanging on by a thread as it is, the last thing she needs is to know that an international arms dealer has a hit out on her and Steve."

(Steve awakens in his bed, again alone, but he feels Sam's presence intensely. He gets up and walks all through the house but it's empty. Walking outside, he finds no one on the deck of the beach behind the house, yet Sam's presence gets stronger with every step he takes. Walking down the beach, he finally comes upon his parents and their friends boarding a huge sailboat. All four older people smile lovingly at him and he stops just short of stepping into the water. Anne speaks first.)

"I hope that you and Samantha have a very happy life together, Commander. She's a very special young woman."

"I know she is, Anne."

"I hope you really do know, Commander. Sam is very precious, very unique."

"Don't worry, Jonathan, Sam is the most precious thing in my life. . . Where are you going, Mom?"

"We're going sailing, Son. We won't be coming back."

"We're very proud of you, Steve. You're a strong, brave and honorable man and you will be a loving husband to Sam and, one day, a wonderful father; a much better father than I was to you. I love you, Son."

(Steve's eyes are filling with tears and his voice is choked with emotion.)

"I love you, too, Dad."

"We'll see you again one day, Steve. Until we do, love Samantha will all your heart and be happy, Son. I love you."

"I love you, Mom."

(Steve stands on the beach and watches as the sailboat grows smaller and smaller until it completely disappears on the horizon. He's suddenly filled with a desperate need to be with Sam; to touch her and talk to her, and he starts walking back to the house. He can hear her voice as if from a long way off, very faintly at first and then louder and louder as he gets closer, and he increases his pace until he is running. His lungs are on fire as he runs faster and faster, but he keeps going because he hears Sam begging him to come back to her. . . Sam desperately wants Steve to open his beautiful eyes, wants to hear his voice, wants to know that he really is going to be all right.)

"I love you, Steve, so much. Please wake up. I need to talk to you. I need to hear your voice; I need to hear you tell me you love me."

"I love you, Sam."

"Steve? Oh my God, I love you, too! Lana!"

"What is it, Cmdr. Murdock? . . Well, Cmdr. McGarrett, so you've decided to join us. How are you feeling?"

(Steve looks up into Sam's tear-filled eyes and smiles, his eyes never leaving hers.)

"Grateful."

"Grateful, Steve?"

"Yeah, Beautiful, grateful that you're the first thing I saw when I woke up."


	19. Chapter 19

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 22, 2010

(Sam leans over and kisses Steve and he lifts one hand to touch her face while Lana steps outside the room to the desk to page Dr. Kincaid. Steve is still very weak and the effort to lift his hand costs him. Sam realizes he's as weak as a baby and, taking his hand in hers, kisses his palm before gently laying it back on the bed.)

"Easy, Sailor, you lost a lot of blood and went through some pretty intense surgery. You need to rest."

"I need you, Sam."

"You've got me, Steve. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

(Dr. Kincaid enters the room, checks Steve out, and declares him to be much better. He also says that, if Steve's condition either remains the same or improves, he will consider moving him to a regular private room soon. With a smile for Sam, the doctor leaves, and Sam sits on the side of Steve's bed holding his hand and experiencing a sensation of sheer relief.)

"I need to talk to Danny, Sam."

"Danny's busy trying to figure out who shot you and why."

"That's why I need to talk to him, and he needs to get my statement. The sooner he has that the better."

"You're determined to push yourself, aren't you?"

"Please, Baby, just get him for me."

"Okay, but you are not going to overdo things, Commander, understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

(Danny, Chin, Kono, Caroline and her parents, and Tony Montgomery and the other five SEALs are in the waiting room when Sam sticks her head in the door, tells them Steve is awake and asks Danny to come with her. In no time, Danny is standing by Steve's bed while Sam takes a quick shower)

"Hey, glad you finally decided to wake up. You're one lazy individual, know that?"

"Shut up, Danny. You know who shot me yet?"

"Working on it."

"How?"

"We're working on it, okay?"

"No, not okay. I want to know what you're doing?"

"What? You don't trust us?"

"I trust you, but I want to know what you're doing to find out who shot me."

"How about we start with your statement. Tell me what happened?"

"Sam and I had just had dinner and were walking back to the parking lot. This black SUV comes flying down the street, I see handguns coming out the front and rear passenger windows, I start yelling for people to get down, push Sam into the doorway of an art store, draw my weapon and get off two rounds, and the next thing I know I'm lying flat on my back and Sam's leaning over me. Shooters were wearing ski masks; no plates on the SUV. It wasn't a random drive-by, Danny."

"No, it wasn't. We think it's Kasavich."

"Makes sense."

(Steve gives Danny a look that, even in his weakened condition and lying flat on his back in a hospital bed, leaves no doubt that Steve means exactly what he's saying and there will be consequences if things turn out badly.)

"Do whatever you have to do to keep Sam safe."

"Since she's going to be wherever you are, you won't mind if we keep you both safe."

"So what are you doing, what do you know?"

"Nothing. I've got a call in to Adm. Harte to find out if there's been any chatter we should know about and Tony Montgomery's talking to his sources."

"We need to take care of this, Danny."

"Hey, you think I don't know that? What I _don't_ need is you trying to be Superman right now. The best thing you can do is behave yourself so Sam won't make herself sick worrying about you any more than she already has! We've got this, Steve."

"Does Sam know?"

"Do I know what?"


	20. Chapter 20

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 23, 2010

(Neither Steve nor Danny hears Sam slip into the room, and they both look like little boys caught with their hands in the cookie jar when she walks around Danny and stands on the other side of Steve's bed.)

"Do I know what? That this wasn't a random drive-by shooting? That someone is trying to kill Steve or me or both of us, and that someone is probably Dimitri Kasavich? Yeah, guys, I know. I may not be a detective, but I do know a little something about intelligence and I was the courier on the arms deal op a few weeks ago. Didn't need to use too many brain cells figuring it out."

(In spite of himself, Steve's grin is full of pride and Danny is looking at Sam in complete awe.)

"How are we going to prove it's Kasavich, and what are we going to do to stop him?"

"'We' aren't going to do anything. Kono and Chin and I got this."

(A slow smile spreads across Sam's face as she looks up at Danny. Steve, having seen this expression before and knowing exactly what it means, actually starts to feel a little sorry for Danny; especially when Sam starts to slowly walk around the bed toward him.)

"I believe we've all just agreed that an international arms dealer is trying to kill either Steve or me or both of us. If you think, for one second, that I am going to idly sit by and not be an active participant in this investigation, you are sadly mistaken."

"Sam . . ."

"Neither you nor Kono nor Chin has the necessary security clearance to obtain some of the information you're going to need to get to Kasavich, and, while Lt. Montgomery may have a certain level of security clearance, I can assure you mine is much higher."

"Sam .. ."

"I have an intimate knowledge of Kasavich and his operation because of my involvement in the arms deal. I know his contacts in six different countries, and I speak their languages; fluently as well as Russian. You need me, Danny, whether you want to admit it or not. Besides, as soon as Steve has recovered we are getting married and I want to be able to enjoy my honeymoon without having to look over my shoulder every minute "

"Sam . . "

"I understand the Governor is having the waiting room we've been using set-up as a sort of operations center for Five-0 while Steve's still here, so I won't even have to leave the hospital which I'm not going to do anyway, so what is your problem?"

"Actually, I don't have one. I've been trying to tell you for the past several minutes that I agree. You had me at the security clearance thing."

"Okay. Be right back."

(Sam walks out of the room and Danny's expression says he's gained a whole new respect for her.)

"She's tough."

"That's my girl."


	21. Chapter 21

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 23, 2010

(Sam goes to the waiting room to spend a little time with Caroline's parents and assures them that, now that Steve is awake and improving, she's also doing much better than she was. They decide to go to their hotel to rest and Sam sends Caroline with them. There's nothing she can do at the hospital anyway, and Danny's going to be busy for a while. What Sam _doesn't_ tell Caroline is that she's sending her to the hotel with her folks for her own safety. Now that Steve is on the mend, Sam's training has kicked in and her mind's going a mile a minute. She goes back to Steve's room and asks Danny to let her know when he needs her. Promising her he will, Danny heads out to make sure their computers are getting set-up. One look at Steve and Sam realizes that he has exhausted what little strength he had and that he needs to rest. Pulling her chair closer to the bed, she kisses him softly, takes his hand in both of hers, and sits down.)

"You need sleep, Steve."

"I've been asleep, Sam."

"Yes, but you need more."

"Not sure I want to. I had a really weird dream."

"Yeah? How weird?"

"Weird. I'll tell you about it later. . . Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want children?"

"Wow. That must have been some dream."

"Do you?"

"I would love to have babies with you, Steve."

"Good. 'Cause we are. One day."

(His voice has been getting softer with each word and he drifts off to sleep on the last one. Smiling at the thought of having Steve's baby, Sam lays her head on her arms and nods off herself. . . . Computers are up and running in the temporary ops center and Kono, Chin, and three of the SEALs are typing fast and furiously on keyboards. Tony Montgomery is on his cellular phone with a friend of his, and Danny is on his with the Governor. He finishes his update about the time Tony ends his call and walks toward him.)

"Just got off the phone with a buddy of mine who works at Langley. They haven't picked up any chatter on a hit, but Kasavich has disappeared. He's off the map and has been for about a week. He's going to call me if he picks up anything."

"Okay. Listen, I know you guys may be called out on an op at any time and I just wanted to, you know, thank you for everything you guys have done to help out."

"Steve McGarrett's probably the best C.O. most of us have ever had, and he's personally saved my six more than once. We'd all do anything for him we could. You don't have to thank us, Det. Williams."

"Okay, and it's Danny.


	22. Chapter 22

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 24, 2010

(It has been a week since Steve was shot and he has been moved into a private room that happens to be located directly across the hall from the temporary ops center. Steve is quickly regaining his strength and Dr. Kincaid is very pleased with his recovery, but he is getting restless and therefore irritable. Steve's SEALs have been helping as much as they can when they can, but they, as well as Caroline, have regular duty with the Navy. Gov. Jameson placed a call to Adm. Harte and had Sam temporarily assigned to Hawaii Five-0 so she wouldn't lose any leave time, and, since she actually is helping with the investigation, it only made sense. She has also received special authority to act on U.S. soil should it become necessary. Caroline's parents finally come by to meet Steve and spend some time with Sam and find Steve sitting up in bed, off the heart monitor, down to only one I.V., and somewhat impatient. Sam is sitting on the side of his bed when they come into the room but quickly jumps up and hugs each of them fondly.)

"Uncle Mike, Aunt Libby, I so glad we finally have some time to talk and you can meet Steve."

"Good to finally meet you, Cmdr. McGarrett, and glad you're doing so much better."

"Thank you, Admiral. I wish we could've met under better circumstances."

"Well, you certainly didn't ask to be shot, Son. As to that, I know that Sam is working with your unit on this investigation, and her security clearance is extremely high, but if you should run into . . resistance let me know. I might be able to pull a few strings if necessary."

"Thank you, Sir. We may just take you up on your offer."

"All right, Michael, that's enough of that. I want to get to know Cmdr. McGarrett not talk about the investigation. After all, he's marrying our Sam."

"You're going to love him, Aunt Libby."

"I'm sure I will, Sam," (Her eyes mist.) "Anne and Jonathan certainly would have."

(Steve's head snaps up toward Mrs. Thrasher and he has the strangest look on his face. Sam notices this and becomes concerned.)

"Steve?"

"Who are Anne and Jonathan?"

"My parents. Are you okay?"

(For a moment, Steve looks at Sam with amazement on his face but then his expression changes and he smiles at her as he takes her hand in his and squeezes.)

"I'm good, Beautiful."

(Danny and Chin, having sent Kono off to have lunch with Tony, are in the ops center looking over the latest intel when Caroline enters the room. They haven't been able to spend much time together over the past week, and, although Danny has spent the night at Caroline's apartment a couple of times, they're both starting to suffer from withdrawal; a fact which has them both individually re-thinking their relationship."

"Hey, guys, anything new?"

"Hey. No, it's like Dimitri Kasavich has dropped off the face of the Earth. Sam's trying to make contact with a couple of his contacts in Budapest and Hong Kong, but, so far, there's been no response."

"The good news is that there hasn't been another attempt."

"Doesn't mean there won't be, Chin. Kasavich is not the kind of man to just give up."

"Okay, this stuff is all way out of my league, but I would think he'd try again fairly soon. What's he waiting on?"

"Maybe he's waiting for Steve to be discharged. Might think he'd have a better chance of getting to him and Sam once he's out of the hospital and back at home. 'Course, making the hit while Steve's still here has advantages, too. Harder to spot a shooter in the large group of people who are always in and out of here."

"Or he's waiting to see if we relax our guard or maybe just to drive us all crazy. Doesn't matter, sooner or later, there's going to be another attempt."

"Yeah, Chin, and you're about to have even more fun. Sam says Steve's getting really frustrated with lying around in a hospital bed all day."

"Too bad. Man's hurt; he needs to accept that fact and behave."

"Easier said than done, Danny. Sam's about ready to handcuff him to the bed."

(The look Danny and Chin exchange at Caroline's statement has absolutely nothing to do with the case, and Caroline realizes it instantly. Blushing slightly, she just laughs and shakes her head.)

"C'mon, you guys, Steve's not in any shape to . ., well, you know."

"You'd be surprised at what Steve is capable of when it comes to Sam."


	23. Chapter 23

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 24, 2010

(Caroline and her parents leave after promising to come by again and Danny and Chin walk across the hall to Steve's room. At his insistence, Sam got Caroline to bring Steve some clothes the last time she went to the house to get some for Sam, and Steve is pacing in front of the window pulling an I.V. pole with one hand wearing a pair of blue gym shorts and looking for all the world like a caged lion. Sam is very calmly sitting on the small couch which folds out into a bed working on a laptop. The look she shoots Danny and Chin when they walk in the door alerts them to the fact that Steve is not a happy camper.)

"Hey. Got anything?"

"Nothing. Are you supposed to be up?"

"Doc said I could move around if I wanted to."

"He said you could move around as long as it didn't cause you any pain or cause your blood pressure to go up."

"Whatever. Does this hospital have a gym or exercise room or SOMETHING?"

"Steve."

"Sam."

"Do you want to marry me or not, Steve?" (She hasn't looked up at him once.)

"What the Hell kind of question is that, Sam?"

"Well, you seem bound and determined to kill yourself before you can recover from being shot. I was just wondering."

"That hurt."

"Hey, if the shoe fits. . . ."

"Are you two having an argument?"

"Sam and I don't argue, Danny."

"We just disagree sometimes. . . Here we go."

(At the sudden intensity in Sam's voice and the change of expression on her face, all three men walk over so that they can see the laptop's screen. Scrolling across it rapidly is a message that none of the men can read because it's in Russian. Sam, however, is having no trouble reading it at all and translates for the benefit of the others.)

"Dimitri Kasavich is in Istanbul. He made contact with members of a suspected Al Qaida cell twelve hours ago, and then contacted my guy in Hong Kong."

(She stops translating, and Steve, frowning furiously, is having a hard time being patient and waiting for her to continue.)

"What?"

"The son of a bitch is offering fifty million dollars to whoever kills us and provides him with indisputable proof in the forms of our severed heads. Cheap bastard's only offering twenty-five million apiece."

(Sam's whining statement after such a deadly serious one catches Danny and Chin off-guard, but Steve just grins.)

"Man's crazy. Everyone knows you're worth way more than me, Beautiful."

"Whoa! Are you telling me Kasavich just put an open hit out on the two of you?"

"You know, Danny, they have an ENT clinic in this hospital. Maybe you should run down there and get your hearing checked."

"Not funny, Sam. None of this is funny."

"No, Danny, it's not, but I refuse to allow some arrogant Russian son of a bitch to cripple me with fear. He wants a fight? He's damned well got one!"

"That's my girl."

"Would the two of you listen to yourselves? Do you not understand that this guy wants to _kill you_?"

"Yeah, we get that, Danny, but Sam's right. We're not going to run and hide. Let him take his best shot."

"I don't believe this! Do you hear them, Chin?"

"Hey, I agree with them, Brah. The sooner we get this jerk and all his friends, the sooner things can get back to normal."

"And the sooner Steve and I can get married and have a honeymoon without worrying if some asshole's going to try to kill us."

"Fine!"

"It's going to be okay, Danny, trust me."

"And just how do you know this, boy genius?"

"I just do."

"You just do?"

"Yeah, I just do."


	24. Chapter 24

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 24, 2010

(Kono and Tony return from lunch and are briefed on what's developed while they were gone. The six of them talk about who might take Kasavich up on his offer and when the next attempt might be, but they can't come up with anything conclusive. Danny is still irritated with both Sam and Steve, and part of his irritation stems from (a) they can't seem to get any solid information and he feels like they're all flying blind, and (b) Caroline's parents are in town and not only has he not been able to spend as much time with her as he'd like but he has to sit down and actually talk with them eventually. When Dr. Kincaid shows up to check on Steve, he chases every one out of the room except Sam, and she stands at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed and watches everything that goes on like a hawk. Finally, Dr. Kincaid straightens up and smiles.)

"Well, Commander, you're doing very well. You've made remarkable progress in a week, but you have some more healing to do. If you continue to progress as well as you have been I might consider allowing you to go home in another few days. Of course, you'll have to take it easy for a while longer, but you're doing very well, indeed."

"How long before I can go back to work, Doc?"

"Depends on how well you follow directions, Commander."

(Steve glances at Sam and sees the look on her face and reluctantly backs down although he's frowning darkly the whole time.)

"Okay, Doc, I get it."

"I'm sure you do, and I'm sure Cmdr. Murdock will _make sure _you 'get it'. I'll see you tomorrow."

(Steve is still glowering when Sam turns around from walking Dr. Kincaid to the door and sits back down on the side of the bed. Since he's sitting up, Steve reaches out, pulls her close, and groans from the sheer pleasure of having Sam in his arms again. She, however, instantly assumes that he's done something to hurt himself, and gently but firmly pushes him away.)

"What did you do? Where does it hurt?"

"Sam, I didn't do anything to hurt myself. It just felt so damned good to hold you again, Baby. Come here. Please."

(Totally unable to resist him, Sam carefully moves back into the strong circle of Steve's arms and lays her head on his shoulder. She, too, has missed being held by Steve and being able to hold him, and she closes her eyes and just enjoys the moment.)

"When I was unconscious after I was shot, I was dreaming. I woke up at home and my parents were sitting beside the bed. They told me you were fine, but I didn't believe them. I remembered I had been shot, but I couldn't understand why you were at the hospital if you weren't hurt and I was at my house when I had been shot. Mom kept telling me that I needed to rest and be patient, but I was so angry. I didn't want to listen to them. I wanted, _needed_ to be with you. Every time I 'woke up', I'd have another conversation with my folks and I'd ask them how to get back to you, but they wouldn't tell me. Finally, this other couple was with my folks out on the deck, and they told me you were fine, but I didn't believe them, either. I told all of them that they didn't understand; that I loved you and needed to be with you. Finally, I found them way down the beach boarding a sailboat. Mom said they were going sailing and wouldn't be coming back. The other couple told me you loved me very much and wanted to be sure I understand just what a special woman you were. There names were Jonathan and Anne."

(Sam jerks upright and stares at Steve in stunned amazement for a few moments. He can see her mind racing as she tries making sense of what he's just told her.)

"I must have told you what my parents' names were at some point."

"I thought of that and, though I can't remember you ever telling me their names, you must have or I wouldn't have dreamed about them."

"That's why you looked so strange when Aunt Libby mentioned their names today."

"Yeah. It's also how I know this thing with Kasavich is going to turn out okay."

"How's that?"

"Because Dad told me that I was going to be a wonderful father one day; a better one that he had been to me. I can't be any kind of father if we aren't alive to make babies, Sam."

"It was a dream, Steve. You want to be a father some day, so your subconscious projected that into your dream."

"Have a little faith, Sam. I'd like to believe our folks were telling me everything's going to turn out okay for us."


	25. Chapter 25

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 24, 2010

(The night passes quietly but just as the sun starts to rise there is another message. This one is from Istanbul and is in an obscure Farsi dialect. Danny slips into Steve's room and finds Sam asleep in the bed with Steve. Both of them look more relaxed than they have in days, and Danny hates to wake them, but Sam is the only person available who speaks Farsi, so he has no choice and gently shakes Sam.)

"Hey, we've intercepted a message, Sam. Need you to translate it."

"Let me see it. . . . Somebody took Kasavich up on his offer. This message says the contract has been awarded. It also says there will be an additional contract should this one not be completed. "

"Completed when?" (This from Steve)

"Doesn't say."

"Damn!"

"I need to put some feelers out. I'm going to ask Uncle Mike to help, too. He and my father were on the same SEAL team, and did some work for the CIA years ago. He might know someone who can help. 'Cuse me."

(Sam heads to the room across the hall to use a computer and call Caroline's father. Danny has a funny look on his face and Steve can't help but grin.)

"What's the matter Danny? Didn't know Caroline's father was a SEAL?"

"It was bad enough the man's an Admiral. Now I find out he can kill me a hundred and twenty-seven different ways with his bare hands!"

"I think he likes you. At least, Sam seems to think so. Bringing him into the investigation might be a good thing; give him a chance to see you work. You can impress him."

Great. I'm going to end up spending more time with Caroline's father than with Caroline. This is seriously messed up."

"It'll be okay, Danny. Trust me."

"There you go with that 'trust me' stuff again. Did you visit the Great Beyond or something while you were out? 'Cause you sure sound like you've got the inside track on this thing."

"Just . . . Trust me, Dano."

"There it is! This day hasn't even started yet and it's already going from bad to worse." 

"Today was supposed to my wedding day, Danny."

(The very quietly spoken sentence cuts right through Danny and he looks at his friend with a contrite expression on his face.)

"Yeah, sorry. "

(Sam comes back into the room and can tell there's just been some kind of serious exchange and looks from Steve to Danny but no explanation is forthcoming. She grabs the bag containing her clothes and telling Steve a nurse is coming to take out his I.V., heads into the bathroom to take a shower.)

"Today was supposed to be Sam's wedding day, too, Danny. I don't care who you have to work with to find Kasavich and whoever he's hired. Find them, take them down, or out, I don't care which, just do it quickly."

(By the time Sam comes out of the bathroom, the nurse has taken out Steve's I.V. and he's impatiently waiting to get in the shower himself. The nurse helped him put a protective, plastic bandage over his stitches, and he practically chases Sam out of the bathroom. She takes the opportunity to walk across the hall and talk to Danny.)

"Hey, what was going on with you and Steve a few minutes ago?"

"Nothing. He just reminded me that you two were supposed to have gotten married today."

"Steve and I will get married. It's going to happen. It just won't be today. Okay, Uncle Mike is on his way over here and I've put some feelers out to some of my contacts. Now we wait. And Danny, Uncle Mike's a really nice guy. It's Aunt Libby you have watch out for. Trust me."

"What is it with you two and the words 'trust me'?"

"Just . . Trust us, Danny."

(Any rebuttal he might have made is cut off by the arrival of Caroline's father and Tony Montgomery. In very short order, Steve wearing a pair of sweat pants and a dark tee shirt, joins the groups and they begin to map out a battle plan. Danny soon begins to relax as he discovers that Caroline's father really is a nice guy and that they work well together. Adm. Thrasher sends out feelers to his contacts and between him and Sam they have a wide coverage area. By the time Kono and Chin arrive, they are starting to receive information from a couple of different sources.)


	26. Chapter 26

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 25, 2010

(The first message is for Adm. Thrasher and is from one of the guys who was on the same SEAL team with the Admiral and Sam's father. He's living in London, and does occasional consulting work for the CIA. His message says he's picked up some chatter that a former MI6 agent who's turned to the dark side left England en route to Hawaii thirty-six hours ago to take care of a problem for a friend. The second message is for Sam and it's from a contact also in London. This message, however, indicates there are at least six assassins and that they are already on the island. The messages are conflicting and cause a heightened sense of urgency in the room. Danny calls Adm. Harte to see if he can confirm either message or if he has any intel they don't. The Admiral is in a meeting so they are forced to wait until he calls back. Steve may not be quite up to par physically just yet, but his mind is working just fine.)

"We need to ramp up security. Now."

"No kidding, Einstein. I've already doubled the number of H.P.D. officers on your house and in the hospital, and Mike's asking Langley for assistance as well."

(Neither Sam nor Steve missed Danny calling Caroline's father by his first name, and they exchange a knowing look. Sam, however, gets right back with the program.)

"I pulled the blueprints for the hospital and this floor specifically and I think I've come up with an idea for not only bolstering secure access, but planning a few surprises for anyone who has no business being here. Let me show you what I mean . . ."

(For the next several minutes, Sam explains what she has in mind and when she finishes, Steve is grinning at her with pride, and the rest of them are looking at her with a great deal of admiration. Tony sums up everyone's feelings quite easily.)

"Are you sure you're not a SEAL, Commander?"

"That's my girl."

"So then you think my ideas are viable?"

"Sam, my dear, not only are they viable, they're genius."

"I wouldn't go that far, Uncle Mike."

"I would. You are most definitely your father's daughter."

"Okay. Let's get to work on setting this up."

"Steve and I are going back to his room so he can get some rest."

"Hang on, Sam, I want to . . "

"Steve."

(Frowning furiously, Steve looks at her for a minute but finally throws his hands up in frustration and starts toward the door.)

"Fine, but I want frequent updates."

"Yeah, no problem, Buddy."

(Steve follows Sam into his room, grabs her arm, and jerks her up hard against his chest once they cross the threshold. Her arms are around his neck and he's kissing her before the door is fully closed. When he finally lifts his head from hers, she is breathless and her eyes are sparkling.)

"Are you insane? You're going to kiss me like that when you're . . . when we're . . .Are you insane?"

"You want me to rest; you've got to give me something I want."

"Steve, surely you don't mean you want us to . . "

"I'm not that far gone. Besides, I promised you I'd do what the doc said, but I can at least kiss you, Sam.


	27. Chapter 27

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 26, 2010

"Okay, I can live with that. . . . I think it's more likely there's only one guy coming after us than six. Six is way too many; too messy, too many chances for a screw-up."

"I was thinking the same thing; only I'm leaning towards two killers. Either way, Sam, you know this is probably going to come down to us against them, right?"

"Yeah, Steve, I know that. Even more reason for you to get some rest while you can. (Trying to lighten the mood, she shoots him a sexy little grin.) Besides, I want you one hundred percent healthy when we get married. I'm looking forward to you taking me to bed and keeping me there a solid week just like you promised, Stud Muffin,"

"Really, Sam? Stud Muffin again?"

"Once more; it's catchy."

(Sam's cellular phone rings and she smiles when she sees the caller i.d.)

"Hey, Gracie, what's up?" . . . "I'm sorry, Sweetie, I should have called you. He's fine. Hang on a second. . . . It's Grace, Steve, and she's very upset because I didn't call her and let her know you'd been hurt. She wants to talk to you." (She hands him her phone and sits down on the small couch.)

"Hey, Gracie."

"Dano told me you got hurt, Steve. A whole week ago and nobody called me! Are you okay?"

"I am. I'm sorry no one called you, Gracie, but Sam was so worried about me that she didn't call anyone; she's been right here at the hospital with ne the whole time."

"That's because she loves you, Silly."

"I know she does, Gracie. I love Sam, too."

"Are you and Sam still going to get married, Steve?'

"We sure are, Sweetie, just as soon as I'm all better."

"'Kay. Can I come see you, Steve?"

"Um, that's not a good idea right now, Gracie. I'm in a special room and they don't allow anyone under sixteen to visit."

"But I want to see you, Steve. I want to make sure you're okay, and I know that my hugs and kisses would make you feel lots better."

"I know they would, too, Sweetheart. Tell you what, I should be out of here in a few days and then your Dad can bring you over to the house to see me, okay?"

"I guess. Is Sam okay? Daddy said she was with you when you got shot. Sam didn't get shot, too, did she?"

"No, Gracie, Sam didn't get shot. She's just fine. She's just been worried about me. I promise that we'll both see you as soon as possible."

"Okay. I love you, Steve."

"I love you, too, Gracie. You're a very special young lady."

"Can I talk to Sam, please?"

"Sure you can, hang on."

"Hey, Grace. I'm so sorry that I didn't call you, but I was just so worried about Steve I couldn't think straight. It won't happen again, I promise."

"It's okay, Sam. I understand. Just take good care of Steve. He said I could come over when he gets home and visit."

"You sure can, Sweetie, we both miss you."

"I miss you too, Sam, and I miss Steve. Is it okay if I call again?"

"Of course it is. You can call anytime you want to, Sweetie."

"Okay. I love you, Sam."

"Love you, too, Gracie."


	28. Chapter 28

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 26, 2010

(Sam insists that Steve get back in bed and try to rest and, even though he's frowning at Sam, he's also feeling a little weak though he'd rather cut off his right arm than admit it. Within five minutes, Steve is asleep and Sam breathes a sigh of relief. She knew Steve would want to be right in the middle of things once he was feeling better, but he's a long way from a hundred percent, and Sam is scared that, when the killers do show up, Steve's not going to be ready. Fear gnaws at her steadily and she is suddenly very tired herself. Knowing that their friends are doing everything they can to protect them, Sam gives in to her exhaustion and crawls into the narrow hospital bed next to Steve. No sooner has she laid down than Steve's arms close around her and pull her closer to him. Within minutes, Sam, too is fast asleep. . . Danny's cell phone rings and, seeing that it's Caroline, he steps out into the hallway to take the call.)

"Hey."

"Hey, Dad told me things were getting a little intense over there. Said I should probably stay away for a while. What's going on, Danny?"

"We have confirmation that Kasavich has put a hit out on Sam and Steve. We've got conflicting reports on the number of assassins, but we think there are at least two either on the way here or already on the island. We've ramped up security, but we're basically in a holding pattern waiting on more intel. Your dad's right, Caroline. You need to stay far away from here until this thing's over. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

"We need to talk, Danny."

"Uh oh, I hate it when anyone says, 'We need to talk', especially a woman I've been seeing."

"We need to talk, Danny."

"I'm a little busy here, Caroline."

"You just said yourself that you're in a holding pattern, and you cannot do your job properly if you're too tired to think straight. We. Need. To. Talk. Either you come over here or I'm coming there."

"Damn it, Caroline, it's too dangerous for you to come here!"

"Then you come here, Danny, please."

"All right. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

(Danny ends the call and nearly jumps when he hears Caroline's father's voice in his ear.)

"My daughter can be quite insistent at times, Danny, but then I'm sure you've already discovered that. Go ahead, Son. I believe we can manage without you for a while, and you do need to take a break every now and then."

(And so Danny finds himself at Caroline's apartment twenty minutes later. He takes one look at her and realizes that her mood is a serious one, indeed. Caroline is standing in her living room in front of the sliding glass doors that lead to a balcony and she turns to face Danny when he lets himself into the apartment. He walks toward her but stops about two feet from her as he tries to define the expression on her face.)

"Hey, are you okay?"

"No, Danny, I'm not okay. I'm scared to death that these people who are coming after Sam and Steve just might be successful. I'm scared that the people around them could be hurt or killed. I'm scared that _you_ could be hurt or killed, and I don't think I could stand it if anything happened to you because _I'm in love with you_." (She starts walking toward him.) "If knowing that scares you and you want to walk away from this relationship then walk. I just thought you should know how I felt before . . before something happened."

(Caroline stops right in front of Danny and looks him right in the eye. As she's been speaking, tears have been filling her eyes and spilling down her face and she is trembling. Danny sees the truth of her words in her eyes and he pulls her to him and holds her tightly; one hand coming up to touch her face and tilt her head back so he can look down into her eyes. His own eyes are misty but his voice is steady and strong when he answers her.)

"I won't ever, _ever_ walk away from you, Caroline. If you want to get rid of me, you're going to have to tell me to leave because . . I'm in love with you, too, and when this thing with Sam and Steve is over, we're going to have a very long talk about our future."

"Are we going to have a future, Danny?"

"We are if I have anything to say about it, but I don't want to talk right now."

"Me, either."

(Danny kisses her and gradually deepens the kiss until they are both nearly breathless. They slowly help each other out of their clothes as they make their way from the living room to her bedroom and by the time they make it to the bed they are skin to skin. Danny takes his time and makes love to Caroline slowly and sweetly and can't remember anything ever feeling as right.)


	29. Chapter 29

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 26, 2010

(Chin catches a glimpse of Lana Palea through the swinging doors that separate the S.I.C.U. from the regular hall and steps into the unit and up to the desk. Lana looks up and offers him a small smile.)

"Hello, Det. Kelly. I understand Cmdr. McGarrett is doing much better.'

"He is, and please call me Chin. The doctor said he might let him go home in a few days."

"His recuperative abilities are amazing."

"Yeah, well, I think Sam's had a lot to do with that."

"Cmdr. Murdock can be quite persuasive. I can tell you that I was quite thankful she was around when Cmdr. McGarrett was back here. I do believe that man would do anything for her."

"He would. . . I was wondering if you might be free for dinner sometime."

"I might. Did you have a specific time in mind?"

"Well, um, we're sort of in the middle of a situation right now, but I think it should be cleared up in a few days."

"Tell you what, here's my home and cellular numbers, why don't you give me a call."

(Kono is monitoring things in the operations center along with Tony and Adm. Thrasher, and she gets up from her chair and walks around the room. Tony looks up from the print-out he's reading and catches her eye. Kono's heart rate picks up at the devastating smile Tony sends her way, and she starts to feel a little warm. When Chin practically "bounces" into the room with a grin on his face, Kono raises one eyebrow but wisely says nothing. Danny's entrance a few minutes later is nothing short of "giddy" and he has a silly little grin on his face, and Kono's beginning to get a little frustrated. Danny catches on quickly and tells Kono and Tony to take a break; a long one. They're out the door before he's even finished speaking and head straight to a restaurant on the beach not far from the hospital.)

"I'm glad we were able to get out of there for a little while. I was getting cabin fever."

"Just think how hard this must be on the Boss. I mean, you know he can't stand to sit around and do nothing."

"Yeah. Thank God for Sam. . . . So, you know way more about the kind of people we're dealing with here than I do, Tony. What do you think?"

"I think they're going to make an attempt within the next couple of days, and there's more than one of them. I do not, however, think there's going to be more than two or three of them."

"We should be able to handle that."

"You don't know these people, Kono. They're highly trained and they'll kill anyone who gets in there way without batting an eyelash."

"We can handle them."

"Confidence is a good thing; cockiness is not. Don't make the mistake of underestimating them, Kono."

"I'm not underestimating anybody! . . . . I'm sorry, Tony. I'm just . . frustrated."

"We're all frustrated, K. Imagine how Steve and Sam feel. They were supposed to get married today."

"I know."

"This is going to be over soon, How do you feel about a weekend on Molokai?"

"As in, me and you spending a weekend together on Molokai?"

"Yeah. "

"And you can get leave? I mean, there won't be any disappearing act, right?"

"No, Ma'am. I can get leave. I want to spend some time with you Kono. Just you and me; no cellular phones, no pagers, no interruptions."

"I'd like that, Tony. I'd like that a lot."

"It's a date."

(Danny hasn't been gone more than five minutes when Caroline's doorbell rings. Before she can reach the door, she hears her mother's voice calling her name. Taking a deep breath, Caroline opens the door and lets her mother into the apartment,)

"Hi, Mom."

"Hello, darling. I thought I'd spend some time with you since your father and Danny are busy with this investigation."

"I'm glad you came over, Mom. We haven't been able to spend much time together lately."

"Caroline, how serious is this relationship?"

"Very serious, Mom. I'm in love with Danny."

"You're in . . . Caroline, you two haven't known each other all that long. How can you possibly be in love with this man? How well do you really know him?"

"Well enough. Danny's different from any other man I've ever dated, Mom. He's smart and considerate and gentle and he treats me like . . like I'm the most precious thing on Earth. I love him and he loves me."

"And his daughter?"

"Grace and I love each other, too, Mom. She's an angel. You're going to fall for her the second you meet her."

"Are you really sure about this, Caroline?"

"Yes, Mom, I'm very sure."

"I just want you to be happy, darling."

"I know that, Mom, and I am."

"All right, if this is what you really want, then I'm happy for you."

"Just do me a favor, please. Don't say anything . . weird to Danny."

"Weird?"

"Yeah, you know, like 'when are you going to marry my daughter?'"

"I wouldn't dream of it dear. I'm sure the boy will get around to it eventually."


	30. Chapter 30

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 26, 2010

(Sam awakens to find she's alone in Steve's hospital bed and turns over to see Steve standing by the window looking out at the sunset. Slipping from the bed, Sam walks straight into his arms, slides her arms round his waist, and lays her head against his chest.)

"I must have been more tired than I thought. How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. I'm sorry, Sam."

"For?"

"Our wedding day getting screwed up."

"Like it was your fault. Steve, the day we get married doesn't matter. All that matters is that we get married."

"I love you, Sam."

(Sam senses something different in Steve; something she can't quite define. He's quieter, more withdrawn, more something. Thinking hard, she realizes she's seen him like this before; usually just before he'd leave on a planned op. Lifting her head, her eyes search his for a moment and she _knows_.)

"You think they're going to make the attempt tonight, don't you?"

"Yeah, Sam, I do."

"Okay. Let's go across the hall and tell them."

(She starts to push away from him and turn toward the door but he pulls her back and takes her face in both hands.)

"You mean more to me than my next breath, Sam. If I can't have you in my life, I have no life. No matter what happens, don't ever forget that I love you with all my heart."

"Who needs to have a little faith now?"

(They walk across the hall and all conversation stops as soon as they step through the door. One look at the faces of those in the ops center and both Sam and Steve know they have new information that has them all concerned. Danny steps forward.)

"Mike's contact at Langley came through. There are two of them, Mikhail Russo and Leonid Petrov, both former KGB agents, and they're already on the island. Surveillance cameras at Honolulu International picked them up sixteen hours ago. H.P.D. found their rental car in the parking lot of a flea bag motel on the other side of the island. No security cameras there and no witnesses. We don't know where they are now."

"Yeah, we do. They're coming here. Tonight. You guys ready?"

"We're ready, Steve, but what makes you think they're coming tonight?"

"They're professionals; in and out within twenty-four hours. They've already been here sixteen. They'll wait until the late shift comes on duty, and then they'll make the attempt."

"He's right. Uncle Mike, you and Tony need to leave. As much as you both might want to, you can't be a part of the take-down and you know it."

(Adm. Thrasher looks from Sam to Steve to Danny and then Kono and Chin as if sizing them all up and finally nods. Hugging Sam, he shakes first Steve's hand and then Danny's.)

"Call me as soon as it's over, Sam, and good luck to all of you. Lieutenant Montgomery, time for us to go."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

(Not caring who's watching, Tony kisses Kono hard and fast before following the Admiral out the door. When it's just the Five-0 team and Sam, they go over their game plan one more time, and Sam and Steve go back to his room. Chin walks into the S.I.C.U. to talk with Lana, and Kono and Danny call Tony and Caroline on their cellular phones. Steve and Sam sit on the couch in his room and just hold each other.)


	31. Chapter 31

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 27, 2010

(The group has dinner together in the ops center but none of them are very hungry or talkative; they eat only for energy. Chin is very distracted and excuses himself to go see Lana.)

"Hello, Chin. Decide when you wanted to take me to dinner?"

"Not yet. You get off duty at seven, right?"

"Usually, but I'm working the first four hours of the next shift for a friend of mine."

"You need to go home at seven, Lana."

"I can't. I've already told Eve I'd work for her. What's going on?"

"We have reason to believe there's going to be some trouble here tonight. I don't want you to be caught in the middle."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Very. You need to leave at seven."

"I can't. Besides, you'll be here to protect me. What do I have to worry about?"

(Steve has shaken off his morose mood and is all business again as he looks over the intel they have gleaned on Russo and Petrov. He's also concerned about Kasavich; knowing if the two contract killers fail, Kasavich will just send more unless he is apprehended.)

"What about Kasavich? Is he still in Istanbul? Anybody got eyes on him?"

"Last report we got was that he was still in Istanbul but that was this morning, Boss. I'll see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Kono. We need to get Kasavich. As long as he's out there, Sam and I are targets."

"Yeah, no kidding, Einstein. There are BOLOs out on him everywhere; including through Interpol."

"Why the Hell can't somebody somewhere find him?"

"Steve, every agency involved is doing everything they can. Kasavich is good, it's going to take time."

"That's bullshit, Sam, and you know it! How many countries have been looking for Kasavich for how long now? We, as in you and I, don't have any more time!" (He notices the expression on Kono's face as she looks at a computer screen.) "Kono, what?"

"Kasavich has disappeared. Interpol raided the house where he had been sighted but he wasn't there. They have no idea where he is."

"Damn! We need to find him!"

"Every agency in the world is looking for him, Steve. We need to get ready for Russo and Petrov."

(Everyone is feeling the same frustration as Steve and they're all on edge. After they've finished eating, Sam, Kono, and Chin get back on the computers and search for any new intel. Steve and Danny stand on the other side of the room watching. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife and Steve has what Danny calls "the aneurysm face".)

"I know you're frustrated, but you're not doing anyone any good; especially Sam."

"Sam's fine."

"No, she's not. Look at her."

"She's fine, Danny."

"She's not fine, Steve! She's frustrated, she's scared, and she's worried that you're going to do something to screw up your recovery!"

"Sam's a lot tougher than you're giving her credit for, Danny."

"I know she's tough. I'm just saying. ."

"Trust me, Danny, I'm not about to do anything to hinder my recovery. I've waited too long for Sam as it is. I'm done waiting. . . . Grace called earlier."

"Yeah, she said she was going to call Sam. She's pretty mad about not being told you got hurt."

"She wanted to come see me, but I told her she needed to wait until I was feeling better. Didn't want her in the middle of this."

"No kidding. "

"She's a great kid, Danny."

(Steve takes a good look at Sam and realizes that Danny is right; Sam does look stressed. Glancing at the clock and figuring they have a couple of hours before their visitors show up, Steve walks over to Sam, takes her hand and pulls her out of the chair she's sitting in, and heads for his room across the hall.)


	32. Chapter 32

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 27, 2010

"Hey, I was searching the Interpol database, thank you."

"Kono and Chin can do that."

"I was trying to find some intel on Kasavich, Steve."

(He pulls her close and looks down into her beautiful eyes, and she melts,)

"I'm sorry I've been so hard to get along with today. I don't do sitting around on my six very well and you know it. Add this whole Kasavich thing into the mix and I'm really not a very happy camper."

"I don't blame you. I'd be pretty pissed if I got shot, too. But you're doing really well, we're going to catch these two jerks that are coming after us, and the CIA will find and apprehend Kasavich. And then, when the doctor releases you, we're going to get married. I've been thinking about it Steve. I _never_ told you what my parents' names were. I choose to believe what your father told you in your dream."

"Yeah, me, too, Beautiful."

(He kisses her so sweetly that it brings tears to her eyes and she clings to him for a few minutes perfectly content to be held in his strong arms. Steve closes his eyes and sends up a silent prayer that Sam's right. . . .The hospital begins to settle down for the night and Danny comes in long enough to tell them that H.P.D. has secured all entrances, isolated their floor, and locked off all entrances to the hall. If anyone's going to get to them, they're going to have to be damned good. Sam and Steve settle in to wait weapons at hand, . . .

And absolutely nothing happens. No one tries to reach their floor or enter their hall. The entire night passes without any trouble whatsoever, and the Five-0 team is not only extremely confused but extremely irritable as well; all of them. Sam actually throws the television remote across the room in total frustration as the sun comes up. The resulting noise has Danny, Kono, and Chin, guns drawn, bursting into the room rather quickly.)

"Sorry, guys, it was just me. What the Hell are these people waiting for?"

"They're playing games. They deliberately allowed themselves to be picked up on the security footage from the airport knowing we'd see it and expect them."

"Ya think, Steve?"

"It's a minor set-back, Sam"

"Minor? You think this is minor?"

"C'mon, Sam, there playing head games with us and you're letting them get to you."

(Grabbing her overnight bag, Sam heads into the bathroom and slams the door hard enough to make them all wince.)

"Kono, Chin, please go across the hall and see what you can find out. I have a feeling this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

"No problem, Boss. Okay to let the staff have access to the hall?"

"Yeah."

(He walks over and tries the bathroom door, but it's locked. A fact which seems to amuse Danny until Steve shoots him a death glare. Heaving a sigh, Steve knocks on the door.)

"Sam, you're tired and stressed. We all are. We just need to work through this. Open the door, please. . . . C'mon, Sam, let me in."

(The only response is the sound of the shower coming on and Steve takes about three steps before his fist comes down hard on top of the rolling tray table at the end of the bed.)

"At the rate you two are going, the Governor's going to be really pissed when she gets the hospital bill."

"Shut up, Danny."

"I'm just saying . . .What do you think is really going on here?"

"They're playing head games. They wanted us to think they were coming after us last night. They didn't come and we're all pissed off. When you think with your emotions instead of with your head you make mistakes and that's what they're counting on."

"Sam's definitely pissed."

"She'll be fine. Just . . .Give us a few minutes."

(Steve is standing at the window looking out at the new day when Sam comes out of the bathroom. Wordlessly, he holds out a hand to her and pulls her to him when she takes it, her expression contrite.)

"I'm sorry I lost my temper. I let them get to me, but that's the first and last time; promise."

"It's okay, baby, you've been through a lot in the last couple of months."

"And so have you and everyone else, for that matter. I wish I'd never agreed to be part of that damned op for Adm. Harte."

"I might never have gotten you to agree to marry me if it weren't for that op."


	33. Chapter 33

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 27, 2010

(Sam waits for Steve to take a shower and then they go across the hall to see what, if any, new developments Danny, Kono, and Chin, have found. The answer is zilch, zero, nada, nothing and their faces all reflect their frustration.)

"There's nothing out there, Boss. Not about Kasavich, not about Russo, not about Petrov. And, yes, we've check with all the alphabets."

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would Kasavich put out a contract on the two of you, his hired killers show up here and let us know they're here, and then all three of them disappear?"

"I don't know, Danny. But we need to find them; all of them."

"Hang on a minute. . . I don't believe this."

"What, Chin?"

"I'm getting live feed from Honolulu International. Russo and Petrov are boarding a flight to London right now."

"They're doing what?"

"They're leaving."

(While Steve, Danny, Kono, and Chin have been discussing this strange turn of events, Sam has been standing very quietly next to Steve. None of them have noticed the strange expression on her face or that she has paled somewhat until Chin turns around to say something to Steve.)

"Sam, are you all right?"

"Sam? What is it, Beautiful?"

"Kasavich was at the house where they held me in Tokyo until they took me to Kabul. I overheard him talking to someone; warning them what would happen to them if they ever crossed him. He said his enemies never escaped him; that he could kill them any time he wanted but he sometimes let them wait and wonder and worry."

"Are you saying this whole contract thing was a ruse? That he did it to scare the two of you and now he's _not_ going to kill you?"

"I don't know, Danny."

(Sam walks back across the hall to Steve's room while the Five-0 team starts trying to figure out exactly what's going on. Almost an hour later, Steve goes back to his room and finds Sam sitting on the couch with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. The way she's sitting staring blindly out the window breaks his heart; she looks like a lost little girl. Sitting behind her, he slides his arms around her and pulls her back against him.)

"Adm. Thrasher and Tony Montgomery are on their way back over here and the Governor's tracking down Adm. Harte."

"I can't live like this, Steve."

"Neither can I, Sam. That's why we're going on the offensive."

"Steve?"

"What, baby?"

"Can I go on the offensive later? I need to have a good cry right now."

(And she turns in his arms and proceeds to do just that. The anger inside Steve builds as he holds Sam's trembling body. Exhausted from the lack of sleep and disheartened by the thought that this nightmare could go on forever, Sam cries herself to sleep in Steve's arms, and this is how Danny finds them when he comes into the room. Steve's cautioning frown alerts him to keep his voice low, and one look at Sam's tear-stained face tells him all he needs to know.)

"Mike and Tony are here and are working on trying to find Kasavich. Sam okay?"

"No, she's not okay, but she will be."

"'Kay. I'm going back across the hall. I'll let you know if we come up with anything."

(Danny slips quietly from the room and Steve looks down at the ravaged face of the woman he loves more than life. He gently brushes the hair back from her face and wonders how he's going to fix this.)


	34. Chapter 34

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 28, 2010

(Fort the next several days all efforts are focused on finding Dimitri Kasavich, Russo, and Petrov along with any other known associates of any of the three. After her "meltdown", Sam has gotten her act together and is utilizing every asset she has to help with the search. Adm. Thrasher has pulled some strings in Washington and has gotten the CIA and NSA to prioritize the search for these individuals, as well. Through his contacts, and those of Sam, Steve, and Tony Montgomery, they have widened the net to include most of the security agencies worldwide. Steve continues to improve rapidly and Dr. Kincaid declares he can go home two weeks after the shooting. Warning him he still needs to take it easy for a while, the doctor discharges Steve and everyone and all the equipment move to his house. Grace has called several times and spoken with both Sam and Steve as well as her father, and is still upset that she can't come visit. Danny finally has a talk with Rachel and explains the situation, which Rachel takes surprisingly well, and both parents sit down with Grace and explain that she's going to have to be patient a while longer. Caroline has been spending a lot of time with her mother and has come to the conclusion that Elizabeth Thrasher is actually going to behave where Danny is concerned. Caroline is not, however, very happy that she has not been able to see much of Danny or Sam and Steve for that matter, and defying everyone's instructions to stay away, drives over to Steve's the evening of the second day Steve is home from the hospital. When she walks into the kitchen, Sam, Steve, Danny, her father, and Chin are sitting at the table drinking coffee and looking over reports. The expressions on their faces range from surprised to concerned to angry. Before anyone can say anything, she holds up both hands and has her say.)

"Not a single word," (She glares at Danny and her father.) "From any of you! . . I am fully aware of the situation, I am a fully trained and competent Naval Officer, I know my way around a computer, I have seven different hand to hand combat and firearms certifications, and I'm damned well sick and tired of being sent to my room like a child when people I love are in danger! I'm here to stay and that's final! Understand?"

(For just a moment, no one so much as blinks. The expressions on the faces of Danny and Adm. Thrasher are ones of respect, and Danny's eyes actually have heat in them. Sam and Steve are just grinning and Sam shoots her a "thumbs up" as if to say, "You go, girl!" Chin simply gets up and brings another chair to the table which he sits between Danny and Steve. When Caroline sits down, Danny sends her a glance which heats her blood and she smirks as she picks up a file and asks what she should be looking for specifically. Kono and Tony, who volunteered to make a run to the grocery store, get back to Steve's and Sam helps them put up the seemingly endless number of bags of groceries.)

"Wow, you guys bought enough food for an army."

"You don't know the guys on the team, Commander, they can put some food away."

"I'll bet."

"Anything new come in while we were gone?"

"'Fraid not, Cuz."

"You know, this guy's good, but his luck can't hold out forever. Sooner or later he's going to slip up."

"Don't underestimate him, K., he _is_ an international arms dealer. Man's got more places to hide than you could ever imagine."

"I'm not underestimating him, Tony, I'm just saying he can't stay underground forever."

"Well, he's doing a pretty damn good job of it so far, Kono."

"Which is why I'm saying he can't keep it up forever, Danny. He's been hiding for weeks now, He's got to surface sometime."

"No, Kono, he does not have to surface until he's good and ready, and I'm thinking that's not going to happen any time soon."

"And you base this on what? You're extensive knowledge of how this guy works?"

(The conversation between Kono and Danny has been rapid-fire and it's obvious that both of them are a bit "testy". Sam whistles loudly enough to have everyone in the room wincing, but it effectively stops the bickering.)

"Enough, children! Okay, I think Kono's right. Kasavich cannot stay hidden forever, but Danny is also right; he doesn't have to surface until he wants to, so we make him want to."

"And just how do we do that?"

"Tell me, Chin, any of your relatives need any WMD's or SAM's?"

"You want to set-up an arms deal?"

"Yeah, Danny, I do."

"Are you nuts?"

"You got a better idea?"


	35. Chapter 35

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: November 28, 2010

"Think about it, guys. Kasavich wants us to wonder when he's coming for us. He wants us to worry; to look over our shoulders every second. He wants us to be afraid. Now we all know that that is not going to happen with either Steve or me, but Kasavich doesn't know that. So he's going to "forget" about us for a little while; "put us on the back burner" so to speak. We're just a nuisance to him. His main focus is still on his primary business; illegal arms sales. We float a big enough deal and he'll jump all over it. Won't be able to resist it."

"And because we're in control of the payment and delivery terms, we nab him when he takes the bait."

"Exactly, Chin."

(Steve has been doing his usual frowning most all day but now a grin spreads slowly across his face. Adm. Thrasher, Chin, and Caroline are looking at Sam with even more admiration and Kono and Tony are actually smiling. Only Danny is still frowning and seems agitated.)

"In order for this to work, Sam, you have to get Kasavich to Hawaii. Just how do you plan to do that?"

(But Sam just smiles and tosses Steve's cellular phone to him.)

"Hey, Sailor, invite Gov. Jameson to dinner. We're going to need a little help."

(By the time the Governor arrives at Steve's house, the rest of the SEALs from Steve's team are present. Since bringing up her idea for a proposed arms deal, Sam hasn't said another word about it. She knows that Steve is going to pitch one major fit when she outlines her plan, and she wants the Governor present in case she needs help convincing him it's the only way to solve their problem. Sam, Caroline, Kono, and Tony have prepared dinner, and Sam waits until everyone is seated and eating before she drops her bomb. She also makes sure she is standing on the opposite side of the table from Steve when she explains what she has in mind.)

"I think we're all agreed that the only way to force Dimitri Kasavich out of hiding is to set-up an arms deal he can't refuse. We also need to make sure the actual transfer of funds takes place in Hawaii. Kasavich isn't stupid. He won't come within a hundred miles of here if he gets an inquiry from someone he doesn't know no matter how good a background we set-up because he's playing this little game with me and Steve and he'd realize it was a trap."

"Then how do you propose to get him to agree to this arms deal, Commander?"

"I'm going to be the bait."

"The Hell you are!"

"Steve."

"The man's trying to _kill_ you, Sam!"

"Steve."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Steve! Listen to me. I put the word out that I've had a change of heart, that I'm tired of being one of the 'good guys' and I want to move in much more profitable circles. Just enough information to make Kasavich think twice. He's arrogant; he'll be curious and contact me directly. When he does, I convince him I want to become his partner, and then", (she braces herself for what she knows is coming with her next words.), "then I tell him to come to Hawaii and I'll prove I'm telling the truth by killing you if front of him."

(Absolute silence reigns when Sam finishes speaking. Looks of complete and utter shock are etched on the faces of those sitting around the table; except Steve's face. Although he's frowning mightily, Sam sees that he's thinking about what she just said. She decides to take advantage of the small bit of headway she may have just made and presses the point."

"C'mon Steve, if Kasavich takes the bait, and he will, we can take him down and put an end to this nightmare we've been living in for weeks. We'll also get an international arms dealer out of play and make things a Hell of a lot safer for God only knows how many people."

"How do you know he'll take the bait?"

"Because Dimitri Kasavich has a weakness for tall, green-eyed blondes. That's why he didn't kill me himself in Tokyo. He said he couldn't bear the thought of destroying something so beautiful."

"I don't like this, Samantha."

"It's the only way, Steve. Kasavich can stay hidden forever if he wants. If we're going to end this we have to offer him something he wants badly; me."

(Steve stands up, puts his hands on his hips and walks to the window where he looks out into the night. Danny is the first person to regain the ability to speak and his voice is incredulous when he does,)

"You're not actually going to agree to this?"

"You have a better idea?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I don't like this one damned bit, Danny, but unless you can come up with another way to get Kasavich to come out of the hole he's crawled into it's the only thing we've got.


	36. Chapter 36

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: December 6 2010

**A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to post the next chapter, but I've been under the weather. I hope to be more prompt in posting/updating until the story is finished. Have received several alerts indicating people have subscribed to this story, but haven't gotten any reviews from some of you. Please, please, please, let me know what you think! Thanks so much! Michelle**

(When Danny is silent and no one else speaks up, everyone in the room realizes that Sam's plan just may be their only option at this point. Steve turns around and his eyes lock with Sam's and they don't speak for the longest time. The other people in the room sit quietly knowing this is something that Sam and Steve have to decide. Steve finally looks away and sighs heavily before striding back to the table.)

"All right. Let's do this."

"I do not believe this! Are you both insane? You're talking about handing Sam over to Dimitri Kasavich!"

"Damn it, Danny, we don't have any other choice! Neither Sam nor I want to live the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders!"

"This isn't just about you and Sam anymore, Steve. The rest of us are involved in this, too!"

"Which is exactly why we need to do this! As long as Kasavich is free, none of us will be safe, Danny. You think I like the idea of that bastard getting anywhere near Sam?"

"Enough!"

(Sam's angry roar stops the rapid-fire, back and forth bickering Steve and Danny are engaged in, and their attention snaps to her. Although her green eyes are stormy, her voice is calm and steady.)

"This is the only chance we have to get Dimitri Kasavich out of play and out of our lives once and for all. The sooner we stop arguing about it and put a game plan together, the sooner this nightmare will be over for _all_ of us." (She sits down in front of her laptop.) "I'm going to send an encoded message asking Kasavich to contact me. If any of you don't want to be a part of this op, you need to say so now, because once I've sent the message, we're committed."

(No one moves or says a word and Sam begins typing. A few minutes later, she looks up with a determined expression on her face.)

"It's done."

(Once the decision has been made to go forward with the op, Danny gets right on board and they all throw themselves into putting it together. Gov. Jameson stays just long enough to make sure they have everything they need and tells them to call her if they need her assistance. After several hours of intense discussion, the group has cobbled together a plan of action and they decide they've done just about everything they can do for the moment. The SEALs and Adm. Thrasher take their leave, promising they'll be back first thing in the morning. Danny, Chin, and Kono want to remain at Steve's, but he tells them that they need to go home and get some rest. They try to argue with him, but he convinces them he and Sam will be okay; especially since H.P.D. has several officers stationed outside the house. He realizes that they're all strung very tightly and need to relax, at least for a few hours, anyway. They reluctantly give in and he and Sam are finally alone for the first time in weeks. He walks into his bedroom after locking the door behind Chin, and finds Sam coming out of the bathroom wearing a pale yellow, lacy nightgown. Pulling her into his arms, he tilts her face up so he can look into her eyes and kisses her forehead.)

"We're going to get through this, Sam. We're going to get Kasavich and his friends, and they won't ever be able to hurt us again."

"God, I hope so. I love you so much, Steve. I just want all this to be over."

"I know, and it will be, Sweetheart, soon. Come to bed, Sam. I want to make love to you."

"We can't, Steve. The doctor said . . "

"I talked to the doctor, Sam. He said it would be fine."

"You actually asked the doctor if we could . . ."

"Yeah, I did. You do what you have to when you want something badly enough, and I want you."

(Caroline and Danny are both quiet on the ride to her apartment, and she knows he still has reservations about Sam's plan so she decides to take his mind off things; at least for a little while. Once they get inside the apartment, Caroline grabs Danny, shoves him back against the wall in her entryway, and kisses him hard and fast. Her fingers are pulling off his ever-present tie and unbuttoning his shirt before he can say a word. By the time she has finished with the last button, however, Danny has gotten on the same page and is helping Caroline. Clothes, both his and hers, drop where they are shed and there is a path from the front door to her bedroom. When they reach the bed, Caroline turns and shoves at the same time, and Danny ends up flat on his back. Caroline quickly straddles him and guides him inside her before he can blink. The pace she sets is furious and it takes only minutes before they're both exploding. She is a boneless mass lying on top of him but he doesn't mind a bit. He kisses the top of her head and rubs slow circles over her back.)

"You've got to believe this is going to work, Danny. Sam and Steve both have a lot of experience with ops like this one and they really do know what they're doing."

"I know they do, Caroline, but this thing has snowballed; big time. It's not just Sam and Steve who are in danger anymore. It's you and your parents, and Grace, Rachel, Stan, Dean Dodd's wife, Hell, anyone who even remotely knows any of us."

"Which, as Steve said, is all the more reason to put Sam's plan into action. None of us will ever be able to live our lives in any peace until Dimitri Kasavich is either in custody or dead."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish there were another way to take care of him without putting Sam into the direct line of fire."

"Do you honestly think Steve is going to let anything happen to Sam?"

"Not if he can help it, but he got shot, didn't he? There wasn't a damned thing either he or Sam could do about that."

"Danny, any one of us could get shot at any time, or be involved in an accident, or get hit walking across the street, or . . . "

"Okay, okay, I get it. . . . I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We're all frustrated."

"I love you, Caroline, and I do not want anything to happen to you."

"Right back at you, Romeo."


	37. Chapter 37

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: December 12, 2010

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

**A/N: Sorry, folks, thought I was over my "little bout" of stomach flu, but apparently not. Three trips to the doctor and a few of bags of i.v. fluids later, and I'm **_**still**_** not quite "up to snuff". However, I'm taking my medicine like a good girl and slowly but surely downing gallon upon gallon of chicken broth. Sorry for the length of this chapter, but my brain has gone into "shut down" mode along with the rest of my body. I did want to post an update, though. Hopefully, I'll be up and running again soon. Please excuse the delay! Thanks for all the reviews and the pm's of encouragement and support. They always mean a lot but especially when I'm not feeling well. I truly do appreciate each and every one of you! Michelle**

(Although it's very late, Steve cannot sleep; his body still humming with small tremors from their lovemaking. Sam is lying as close to him as she possibly can and her head and one hand are resting on his chest. Her breathing finally evens out and becomes slow and deep as she falls asleep and her muscles lose their tenseness. Gently brushing hair away from her face, Steve picks up her hand and softly kisses her palm before pressing it back to his chest; a sudden, strong rush of emotion welling in his heart. Carefully sliding out of the bed without waking Sam, Steve walks over to the window and turns to look back at Sam's sleeping form bathed in the moonlight that is flooding the room. A lot of different thoughts and emotions are running through him; not the least of which are a fierce love for Sam and an almost equally fierce desire to tear Dimitri Kasavich apart with his bare hands. The very thought of Sam being within a hundred feet of Kasavich makes Steve's skin crawl, but he knows that Sam's going to have to get a lot closer than that if their plan is going to work. Turning back toward the window, he closes his eyes and says a silent prayer that, this time, they will be able to get Kasavich out of their lives once and for all. . . .

As promised, everyone is back at Steve's house bright and early the next morning. The first thing Sam does is log on to a computer and check for any messages from Kasavich or any of her contacts – nothing. It's only been a few hours since she sent her message, however, and she really isn't surprised that he has not yet responded. As the large group is eating breakfast, Sam goes over more of her ideas and everyone contributes to smoothing out the rough edges. They are all finally satisfied that they're as ready as their every going to be and all that is left to do is wait for Kasavich to make contact. Waiting is the hardest part, and the longer they wait, the edgier everyone gets. Sam, however, is the epitome of calm, as is Steve, and Danny is in honest to goodness awe of them both. He watches them closely and sees the looks and touches they exchange throughout the day and begins to feel optimistic about the op they've put into play. Caroline picks up on the change in Danny and sends little smiles his way. By mid-afternoon, the general atmosphere at Steve's house is upbeat, and Caroline catches Danny alone out on the deck. She walks up to stand beside him as he gazes out at the ocean and his arm automatically slides around her waist and pulls her close to his side.)

"So, you're good with this?"

"Yeah, I am now. I've been watching Sam and Steve all day, and it's like they just . . _know_ this is going to work. Like they can see into the future or something."

"Maybe they can; their future, anyway. They're both convinced that they _are_ going to have a future together, so they're going to do whatever they have to do to make it happen. They love each other that much."

"Yeah. . . Caroline, I know this thing with us has happened pretty fast, and I don't want you to feel like I'm, you know, pushing you or anything. I don't want to scare you away,"

"You couldn't if you tried, Danny. I dated the jerk I was engaged to for almost four years before I agreed to marry him and I would have never dreamed he was the perverted bastard he turned out to be. I don't believe there's a set time limit for knowing what kind of person someone is or for falling in love. When the person you were meant to spend the rest of you life with comes along, you just know."

"You thought you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with the pervert, remember?"

"No. I only thought he was the one. I had convinced myself that he was who I was supposed to marry because I got caught up in the idea of marriage. Most of my friends were either married or engaged, and I didn't want to be 'left behind'. I realize now that was a very immature way to make a decision that would affect the rest of my life. When I look back, it was an extremely foolish reason to get married and it almost cost me my sanity."

"And now?"

"Now, I know better. . . I also know that you're a good man; an honest, decent man. You stick to your convictions, and everything you do has a reason; a purpose. You always put everyone else first without hesitation, and you'd do anything you could for people you care about if you thought they needed your help. And I know that I love you like I've never loved anyone in my entire life."

"Wow. . . So, about that talk your Mom wants us to have . . ."


	38. Chapter 38

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: December 30, 2010

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

**A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. My stomach flu ended up putting me in the hospital for several days and I haven't really felt up to doing much of anything lately. And then I had to play "catch up" to get ready for the holidays. However, I'm feeling better now and will hopefully be able to finish this up in a timely manner. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a great New Year! Michelle**

(Late that afternoon, Dimitri Kasavich finally responds to Sam's encoded message. Tony Montgomery, who is monitoring communications at the moment, sees the message, in Russian, start to scroll across the computer screen and yells for Sam. In short order, Sam, Steve, Danny, Caroline, Adm. Thrasher, Kono, and Chin are standing behind the chair in which Tony is sitting and Sam is rapidly reading the message from Kasavich. Although her expression remains serene, there is a very slight bit of tension in her voice when she straightens up and speaks.)

"He took the bait. He wants to meet with me to discuss the details of my proposal. He says he'll be in Honolulu in three days' time and that he'll contact me day after tomorrow with information about his arrival time."

"Okay, so we've got, what, thirty-six hours to set-up the location?"

"No, Danny, we don't. Kasavich will be in Hawaii a lot sooner than three days if he's not already here now. He'll also want to be the one to pick the location and time for the meet, and you can bet your ass it won't be anywhere we'd prefer."

"But you just said . . ."

"Danny! Dimitri Kasavich did not get where he is in the world by being stupid! Everything that comes out of his mouth is a blatant lie. He wants us to _think_ we have three days to get our ducks in a row."

"Sam's right. We're going to have to run this op by the seat of our pants and pray we can cover all the bases."

"Piece of cake, Commander. Not the first time we've been in a similar situation."

"While I appreciate your confidence, you've never dealt with Dimitri Kasavich, Tony. He's pure evil. I promise you that you've never, ever come up against anyone as vile and manipulative as he is, and I pray that you never do again. We'd better be on our "A" game from this moment on until this is over or . . or some of us won't make it through this."

(Everyone in the room stares at Sam as the seriousness of her words penetrate their brains. Realizing that she is not as calm as she appears, Steve pulls her into his arms and kisses her forehead before looking directly and steadily into her troubled eyes.)

"We're _all _going to make it through this. _You_ and _I_ are going to make it through this. We're going to get rid of Dimitri Kasavich and his friends once and for all, and it's going to happen in the next few days. And then, Sweetheart, you and I are getting married. We've been through too much to let a slimy bastard like Kasavich keep us apart."

(Sam hears the conviction in Steve's voice and sees the determination in his eyes and slowly smiles up into his beautiful eyes; a sense of peace and calm coming over her.)

"You're absolutely right, Sailor. . . Okay, let's put our heads together and see if we can figure out where Kasavich might want to set up the meet."

(Danny watches as Sam and Steve, his hand resting possessively at the small of her back, join Adm. Thrasher, Chin, and Tony at the table to look over one of the maps laid out on it, and shakes his head in wonder; a small smile playing on his face. Caroline slips her hand in his and offers him an encouraging smile and a look that seems to say, "See? They are going to make this work.")

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to post something since it's been a while. Please, please review! I promise that, now that the holidays are more or less over and I seem to have recovered from the stomach bug I had, I will be working diligently to get this story back on track and post more often! Michelle**


	39. Chapter 39

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: December 31, 2010

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

**A/N: I have reposted chapter 38 as it did not post completely the first time. Please go back and read it in it's entirety as it makes more sense now! Thanks, Michelle.**

(After staring at maps trying to isolate possible locations for the meeting between Sam and Dimitri Kasavich for hours, the group of people sitting or standing around Steve's dining room table are nearly cross-eyed. Sam straightens up and rubs her hand across the back of her neck, grimacing when she feels the knots there and in her shoulders. Steve notices the movement and realizes that she appears to be somewhat pale and drawn. Gently pushing her hand away, he places both his large hands on her shoulders and begins to gently knead the tense muscles in her neck, shoulders and upper back. Closing her eyes and allowing her head to fall forward, a small sigh escapes Sam as she braces both hands on the table for support. Kono nudges Tony and the two exchange a worried glance as they watch Steve and Sam. Glancing at the clock, Kono sends a meaningful look in Tony's direction and stands up while putting a smile on her face.)

"Okay. I'm too hungry to think about meeting locations or slimy arms dealers. How about Tony and I run out and grab some pizzas? Ham and pineapple work for everybody?"

"What is it with you people? Do you not understand that _pineapple_ has no business being mentioned in the same sentence with _pizza_?"

"You are so not going to start that again, are you, Danny?"

"Yeah, Kono, I am. Why do you people insist on putting pineapple on everything?"

"Maybe because it's one of the things Hawaii is known for?"

"Hawaii's known for gorgeous girls in hula skirts, too, Chin, but I don't see them popping up on pizza!"

"When have you had time to look at _gorgeous_ girls in hula skirts?"

"Whoa! Caroline, I was just saying. I haven't been looking at any gorgeous girls except you."

"Nice try, Romeo, but you're just digging yourself in deeper."

"Like I always do."

"See, Danny, if you'd just kept your mouth shut in the first place you wouldn't be in this mess now would you?"

"Shut up, Kono, and go get the damned pizzas!"

(Steve immediately realizes that their friends have picked up on the fact that Sam is just about physically and mentally exhausted and are doing their best to lighten the mood in the room, and he is grateful. Shooting them a smile of gratitude, he leans over and whispers something in Sam's ear. Her eyes immediately snap open and she jerks upright; turning to send a mysterious little smile over her should at Steve. Seeing his answering smirk, she moves away from the table.)

"I've got a better idea. We've all been cooped up in this house for God knows how long without a break. I think we could all use a change of scenery. How about if we go out to eat? That way, Danny can get exactly what he wants on his pizza and we won't have to listen to him complain about pineapple."

"Yeah, but I'll still have to watch all of you _eating _pineapple on yours."

"Danny, shut up and get in the car! Now!"

"Yes, ma'am."

(Everyone heads outside and Adm. Thrasher, quiet until now but sporting a knowing smirk on his face, turns to address Sam and Steve.)

"Should we expect to see you two?"

"Yes, Sir. We're just going to straighten up around here first."

"Hmmph. Never heard it called that before, Cmdr. McGarrett."


	40. Chapter 40

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 10, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Steve cannot help but grin when he turns back toward Sam and sees her blushing furiously although she's laughing.)

"Great! Now my adopted father thinks we're going to be fooling around while they're all going out for pizza."

"He doesn't think it; he knows it, and we're not going to be fooling around."

"We're not?"

"Nope. We're going to be damned serious about it."

"I like 'serious'."

(Caroline has a grin on her face and is trying very hard to contain her laughter as she and Danny drive to the pizza place. Not able to stand it any longer, Danny finally gives in to his curiosity and looks over at her as they are waiting at a traffic light.)

"What are you snickering about?"

"I'm not snickering."

"Yes, you are. You have been since we left Steve's."

"I do not snicker, Danny."

"Well, you are, Caroline."

"No, I'm not."

"Fine. You're not snickering. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

"Nothing. Anyone ever told you that you make them crazy? 'Cause you are. Making. Me. Crazy!"

"Really? How so?"

"You know what? Just . . . Never mind."

(The knowing smirk on Caroline's face drives Danny that much crazier, and he growls something under his breath as Caroline breaks into full-fledged laughter as she watches him squirm in his seat in frustration. Finally taking pity on him, Caroline relents and tells him what's on her mind. Sort of.)

"Sam and Steve."

"What about them?"

"Do you see them anywhere?"

"What?"

"Do you see them anywhere?"

"I'm starting to get worried about you."

"They got rid of us."

"They're meeting us there."

"Sure about that?"

"You're trying to see how long it takes you to make me completely insane, aren't you? Have a bet with Kono?"

"Danny, Danny, Danny. Sam and Steve got rid of all of us so they could . . . you know."

"Caroline, we're in the middle of a fairly serious thing here with Kasavich, we're all exhausted, and things are about to get even more intense. I seriously doubt the thought of 'you know' has even crossed Steve's or Sam's mind lately."

"Did it ever occur to you that because things are so intense 'you know' is exactly what they're thinking about?"

"Okay. Are we like twelve or something? Sex. We're talking about sex and we're calling it 'you know'?"

"Fine. Yes, we're talking about sex, and that is exactly what Sam and Steve are doing right now. Having sex."

"Jealous?"

"Yes, actually."

"O-kay."

(Kono and Tony have just arrived at the restaurant and are sitting in his car waiting on everyone else. Tony is thinking out loud trying to figure out how big of a table they're going to need when Kono interrupts him with a laugh.)

"You can deduct two from that number, big guy."

"Who's not coming?"

"You're kidding me, right? Thought SEALs were supposed to be able to pick up on the least little thing immediately."

"We are. We do. What are you talking about, Kono?"

"Sam and Steve aren't joining us for dinner, Tony."

"They're not?"

"No, they're not, and I think it would probably be a good idea if we take our time and go somewhere else for dessert."

"Really? 'Cause we really need to figure out where this meet's going to take place."

"You're not listening, Tony. We need to stay away from Steve's for at least a couple of hours."

"Kono, all the maps are at Steve's, the computers are at Steve's, the intel is at Steve's . . . "

"Steve's bed is at Steve's."

'What does Steve's bed have to do with . . . Oh, sh..! THAT's what you've been trying to tell me!"

"And you're a SEAL. Amazing."

"I'll show you amazing."

"Oh my God, please do!"

(Chin and Adm. Thrasher pull into the parking space next to Tony's car in time to see Tony and Kono meet each other over the center console in a rather serious kiss. Looking around the parking lot and praying he won't witness his daughter and Danny doing the same thing, Adm. Thrasher heaves a sigh and looks at Chin with an amused smile on his face.)

"Well, Det. Kelly, do we go on in and get a table or do we stay out here and wait for Caroline and Danny?"

"If it's all the same to you, Admiral, I'd rather go on inside. I don't think my cousin would appreciate looking over and seeing me right now."


	41. Chapter 41

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 11, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(As soon as the last car is out of the driveway, Steve heads off to make sure all the doors are securely locked and Sam heads toward the bathroom intent on taking a hot shower to relax the knotted muscles in her neck, shoulders, and back. The hot water has just started to work its magic when Sam feels Steve's strong arms slide around her and pull her back against him. She sighs when his mouth touches the area where her neck and shoulder meet and then sucks in air sharply when his teeth bite down on the sensitive skin only to soothe the slight sting with his tongue. One of his arms remains around her waist for support while the other hand comes up to cup her breast; his thumb brushing across the already erect nipple while his mouth continues to trail hot, wet kisses up her neck to her ear and her hands splay against the tile wall as her knees give way. The thought runs through Sam's head that Steve McGarrett can totally turn her into a quivering mass of flesh with just a look and when he actually touches her, time seems to stand still as every nerve in her body instantly becomes enflamed. A steely determination to eliminate the threat that Dimitri Kasavich poses to their happiness takes root deep inside Sam and she vows that he will soon be gone from their lives even as she turns so that her back is against the tile wall of the shower and faces Steve. One look at the solid wall of muscles that make up Steve's chest and abdomen and Sam feels herself getting light-headed. The hot water beats down upon them creating the sensation of being in their own private world as the steam mists all around them and his mouth descends upon hers. One of her hands slides behind his head to pull him further into the kiss and the other skims down his chest and stomach to find that he's already more than ready for her. The thought that she has this effect on this big, strong man fills her with a heady sensation of power, and she smiles against his mouth as she rakes her nails along his erection and hears the quick hiss of his breath as she wraps her hand around him. Steve quickly grasps both her wrists in his hands and pins them to the tiled wall of the shower as he wrenches his mouth from hers to stare down into her hooded eyes with fiery lust in his; his breathing erratic and harsh. Chest heaving and body taut with unbridled lust, he takes his time in allowing his gaze to slowly take in every inch of her wet body and shudders as he tries to get himself under some semblance of control. Without a word of warning, he swings her up into his arms and carries her to his bed where he tosses her into the center of the mattress and covers her body with his; not caring in the least that they're both soaking wet. The fire burning in Sam's veins is getting hotter and hotter; threatening to consume her and she can barely catch her breath as Steve's mouth licks and nips at her jaw line, neck, and lower. When he takes one breast into his mouth and gently bites down on her nipple, she arches her back up and off the bed and a cry of sheer pleasure is ripped from her. He moves one hand to her other breast and adds that sweet torture to the already sizzling assault on her body. Sam's hands clutch at his muscular shoulders in an effort to find an anchor in the stormy sea of passion in which she is eagerly drowning. His mouth and hand leave her breasts and she whimpers at the loss of the exquisite torture he was inflicting until she realizes that he is trailing hot, wet kisses down her stomach; slowly but determinedly moving lower and lower until he has reached her essence. One touch of his mouth on her is all it takes to send her over the edge, sobbing his name and clutching the sheets in her hands as her whole body shakes violently with pleasure. Steve's erection is nearly painful but he doesn't stop what he's doing. He's determined to give Sam more pleasure than ever before or die trying. He grasps her hips firmly in both hands when she tries to squirm away from him and holds her in place. Hearing her cry his name in a husky, tear-filled voice urges him on, and he takes her over the edge again and again. By the time he moves his body up and over hers, she is nearly delirious and her nails sink into the hard muscles of his back when he drives into her in one, hard thrust. That's all it takes to make her fall again and he clenches his teeth as her muscles contract around him. Brushing the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, Steve begins to move slowly within her as he takes her mouth with his. Wanting her to know that he belongs only to her and always will, he lifts his head and tells her just how much he loves her as his body proves his words. His heart catches as he worships her and he knows in his very soul that this woman is his match. She completes him in every way, and he thanks God she is his. Sam moves her body in a perfect sync with Steve's and whispers her love to him over and over as he increases his pace until they are both gasping; reaching for the sweet oblivion that is so close. They reach the pinnacle together to soar in the heights of ecstasy for long moments before their breathing slows and their racing hearts return to normal. Steve gently kisses the tears from Sam's face before easing his body from hers to pull her into his arms hold her tightly.)

"Every time with you is better than the one before, Steve. How is that possible because every time is perfection?"

"Maybe because I love you more with every second that passes, Sam. Making love with you is like heaven on Earth. You're my life. As corny as it sounds, the honest truth is that I can't live without you."

(Kono and Tony finally break apart and the need in both of them communicates itself through their eyes. Kono grabs her phone and sends a quick text message to Chin while Tony smiles and backs out of the parking space. . .

Adm. Thrasher's phone chimes about the same time as Chin's and the two men exchange a long-suffering look just as the hostess asks them how many people are in their party. Sighing, the Admiral looks at her and, with a perfectly straight face, tells her they need a table for two. . .

Caroline, her naked body boneless and draped across Danny's, starts giggling softly as she returns to Earth. Danny, being Danny, fails to see the humor in the situation and turns his head to look her in the eye.)

"You're laughing? Really? You think what just happened was funny?"

"No! What just happened was . . . seriously spectacular. I'm laughing because I was just trying to imagine the look on my father's face when I sent him that text telling him we were going to 'take care of some laundry that had been piling up.'"

"Yeah, I don't think he's gonna' buy that one, either. . . He's not going to freak out, is he?"

"My father doesn't freak out. He'll just send you death glares when we get back to Steve's. Don't worry; he'll only do it for about a month or so."

"I can deal with that. What I _can't _deal with is not being able to give him a reason to send me death glares."

"Nothing to worry about, Romeo."

"Then I guess your father will be glaring at me for a very long time."

"Let's give him another reason to glare."

(Tony shifts so that Kono is lying beside him and traces random patterns on her arm with his fingers while she snuggles closer to his side. He smiles and kisses the top of her head when he hears her sigh contentedly.)

"I think the Boss should have kicked us all out sooner."

"Yeah, me, too. Think Chin's going to be okay with us ducking out on him and the Admiral?"

"My cousin isn't stupid, Tony. I'm sure he's figured out we weren't really going grocery shopping, but he'll be okay with it."

"Good. How much longer do we have before we need to head back to Steve's?"

"Not sure, but _I'm_ not going to be the one to call and ask."

"Me, either. I may be a SEAL, but I'm not stupid."

"Let's give it another hour or so." 

"Works for me. We can do a lot of grocery shopping in an hour."

"I'm thinking we need to check out the dessert aisle."


	42. Chapter 42

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 11, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

"I don't think it's corny at all, Steve. I feel the same way. Sometimes, when I think of how much time I wasted running away from you, from us, I could kick myself. I honestly do not know how you put up with my crap for so long."

"I _love_ you, Sam. You do what you have to do when you want something badly enough, and I have wanted you for years."

"You had me."

"No, I didn't; not really. I mean, we'd get together for a few days here or a few days there, but you always went back to whatever carrier you were stationed on or I would be called out on an op. And when we were together, you always held part of yourself back from me."

"Because I was stupid."

"Because you were scared. And I apparently did a poor job of convincing you that you had nothing to be scared of; that I loved you more than anyone or anything in the world. It's just as much my fault that it's taken us so long to get to where we are now as it is yours, and I'm sorry."

"What if you hadn't taken this position on the Governor's task force? What if I hadn't been assigned to Pearl? We'd still be getting together every now and then and leaving each other again and again."

"No. I was getting ready to ask for a transfer out of the teams when the Governor called me."

"You were going to voluntarily leave the teams? God, Steve, you_ love_ being a SEAL. Why would you request a transfer?"

"Because I'd had enough of leaving you, Sam. You are way more important to me than being a SEAL. When the Governor asked me to head up this task force, everything started falling into place. The morning you called me to tell me you were here TDY, I was going to call you. I'd finally gotten settled in here and I was going to ask you to take some leave and come here. Once I'd gotten you here, I was going to do whatever it took to convince you to marry me."

"But . . . I didn't even tell you I loved you until it was nearly too late."

"Sam, do you really believe I didn't know how you felt until you told me? Do you remember me telling Gracie that I fell in love with you the day I met you?"

"Vividly."

"And you told her you thought you fell in love with me then, too. But you didn't. You fell in love with me that night when we were at the beach."

"How the Hell do you know that?"

"Because I knew you back then almost as well as I know you now. The moment you looked at me when I sat down at that conference we connected. I felt it and so did you. You just didn't want to admit it at the time. I knew we were meant to be together, Sam, and we hadn't even said a word to each other."

"Wow"

"Wow, indeed."

"Okay. Granted, I did feel something when I first looked at you that day, but, come on, Steve, what red-blood woman wouldn't feel something when she lays eyes on a really 'hot' guy?"

"Really hot?"

"You know damned well just how 'hot' you are. If I remember correctly, there were at least four different women staring daggers at me all through dinner that night at the Officer's Club, and three of them had the nerve to walk right over to our table to say 'hello'. I though the redhead was going to sit in your lap."

"Remember that, do you?"

"Damn straight! I also remember that I was seconds away from tossing her out the plate glass window by our table before you sent her on her way!"

(So caught up in her indignation is she that Sam doesn't see the slow smile spreading across Steve's face until she looks up at him and catches the look in his eyes. Suddenly, everything Steve has said begins to make perfect sense and Sam realizes that he's right: she _did_ feel more than just a physical attraction to him the day they met but couldn't identify what she was feeling until jealousy bit into her when other women made it a point to visit their table at dinner. But she still wasn't sure exactly what it was other than jealousy; at least, not then, and Steve sees the wheels turning as she tries to put it all together.)

"Remember what we did after dinner?"

"Of course I do. We left the O club around nine-thirty and decided to go for a walk on the beach. There was a full moon and the stars really stood out. I started talking about how my father and I used to sit out in our backyard at night when I was a little girl and he taught me how to pick out the different constellations. And then you started pointing out not only the constellations but naming the individual stars in them, and I. . .fell in love with you on the spot."

"Well, you started to, anyway. I think what sealed the deal was the fact that, even though it nearly killed me, I took you back to your room at the BOQ, kissed you goodnight at the door, and left. You should have seen the look on your face."

"Well, hey, I thought I was going to be getting a whole lot more than a goodnight kiss out of you, but then you gave me that adorable little smile I love, asked me to go diving the next day, and you were gone. Do you know how long it took me to get to sleep that night?"

"Probably as long as it took me, Beautiful. I was awake the whole night thinking about you. And, yeah, I was thinking about all the things I wanted to do to you once I finally got you into my bed, but I was also thinking about how great it would be to be able to just sit and look at you for as long as I wanted, or just talk to you about anything and everything for hours on end, or be able to just hold your hand in a movie theater. I even started running numbers in my head trying to figure out how much leave I had accumulated so we could plan a trip somewhere, and I'd only known you for twelve hours."

"Big, bad SEAL, my ass. You, Steve McGarrett, are absolutely the most romantic man I know, and I love you more with every breath I take. If I ever again start acting like an idiot . . ."

"Not going to happen, Beautiful. I won't let it."

"I love you, Steve."

"I love you, too, Sam."

"As much as it pains me to say so, we need to send out an 'all clear' and get the troops back here. I suddenly have an extremely strong urge to kick Dimitri Kasavich's ass from here to the next century."

"Right there with you, Beautiful. I'll send the text."

"I'll go start the grill. I believe we owe everyone a decent dinner after we all but threw them out earlier."


	43. Chapter 43

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 12, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Adm. Thrasher and Chin have a chance to really talk over dinner and find that they actually get along rather well. Chin also discovers that, without coming out and saying so, the Admiral likes Danny and seems to be quite all right with Danny and Caroline having a relationship. Once again, their phones chime at the same time and they receive the text from Steve giving the "all clear". . . .

Caroline and Danny and Kono and Tony are on their way back to Steve's within ten minutes of getting Steve's text, and they are all much more relaxed and ready to get down to business than they have been in days. . . .

The six people arrive back at Steve's house at about the same time and wave to the H.P.D. officers sitting at the entrance to the driveway as they pass. Caroline and Kono are just a little apprehensive about facing her father and Chin, but neither man says a word about their absence from dinner, and they all head into the house together. Danny is the first one through the front door and raises his voice as they go inside.)

"We're back."

(Nothing.)

"Maybe their out on the deck or down at the beach."

"Good idea, Caroline. Let's go look while these guys start checking the maps again."

(Danny has been walking toward the kitchen as he's speaking but stops dead, jerks his Glock out of the holster, and assumes a defensive stance when he reaches the door to the kitchen. Training kicks in and Chin and Kono do the same thing. Adm. Thrasher pulls Caroline back and behind him, and Tony positions himself between the Admiral and Kono. Very slowly, Danny steps into the kitchen and looks around. Kono, Chin and Tony are right behind him and they stop short when they see what caused his reaction. The back door is standing wide open and there is blood on the island in the middle of the kitchen and droplets on the floor from there to the back door. There is no sign of Sam or Steve. Cautiously stepping outside onto the deck, they find more of the blood trail leading down to the beach and disappearing at the water. There are several footprints in the sand, and Tony kneels down to study them carefully. His SEAL training takes over and he is able to draw several conclusions from examining the footprints. He stands up as Adm. Thrasher and Caroline join the group.)

"I'd say there were at least five different people down here. Four men and one woman judging from the size of the prints, and one of the men was carrying something fairly heavy. One set of prints made deeper impressions in the sand than the rest. The woman's prints have to be Sam's and one of them was carrying Steve."

"What makes you say that?"

"Simple, Caroline, the only way anyone could have taken Sam or Steve out of this house is if Steve were unconscious."

"But what if he's . . ."

"He's not dead. They need him alive to get Sam to do whatever it is they want her to do."

"Tony's right, and I'm pretty sure we all know who's behind this. The question is, what does Kasavich want with Sam?"

**A/N: Sorry this is so short, but I wanted to make this a little more suspenseful! Enjoy! Michelle**


	44. Chapter 44

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 13, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Sam is torn between sheer fury and stark terror as she sits on the floor of the cabin cruiser and tries desperately to free her hands from the extremely tight rope binding her wrists. Her shoulders are beginning to ache from being pulled back in such an awkward position, her wrists and arms ached from being tied behind her back, and her ankles are becoming sore from the coarse rope binding them together. What causes her the most fear, however, is seeing Steve's still form, tied as is she, lying across the bed in the cabin with a trickle of blood running from his temple and down his face. Her heart races for a moment as she is unable to detect movement of his chest, but she relaxes slightly as she sees the slight rise and fall indicating he is still breathing. After telling Steve that they really did need to straighten up before the others got back to the house, Sam had walked into the bathroom and gotten into the shower. She was only in there long enough to shower off and throw on some jeans, a tank top, and a pair of sandals before walking out into the bedroom to find it empty. Figuring that Steve had probably gone outside to start the grill while she showered, Sam walked into the kitchen and her heart had stopped. Steve was lying on the floor unconscious with blood on his head and running down his face, and four large men, dressed all in black including ski masks, were pointing very wicked looking guns at her. One of them spoke to her in heavily accented English and ordered her to very slowly and very carefully walk outside and down to the beach or they would kill Steve. She wasn't the least bit surprised to a large, sleek cabin cruiser waiting when they reached the beach and she and Steve were unceremoniously tied up and dumped in the master cabin before the boat swiftly pulled away from the house and headed out into the open ocean. Her best guess is that they've been gone from the house for about forty-five minutes, and she has absolutely no doubt as to who is behind their abduction. A slow rage fills Sam as she imagines exactly what she's going to do to Dimitri Kasavich when she gets her hands on him, but her heart skips a beat when she glances over at Steve and realizes that he's been unconscious a long time. Tears sting her eyes but she refuses to allow them to fall. Giving herself a mental shake, she takes a deep breath and goes into combat mode. . . .

The six people at Steve's house have wasted no time in trying to find Sam and Steve. A crime scene unit from H.P.D. is going over the kitchen and deck, and casting footprints from the beach while Chin and Tony are furiously typing information into two of the computers set up in the dining room and Adm. Thrasher, Kono, and Caroline are rapidly scanning one of the flat screen monitors they set up. Danny is on the phone with Gov. Jameson giving her an update. By the time Danny has finished briefing the Governor and joined the others, Kono, Chin, and Tony all have smirks on their faces and Caroline and her father are looking a little more relieved.)

"It's working?"

"Like a charm. Did you think it wouldn't? I mean, come on, Danny, the Boss isn't stupid, you know."

"I didn't say he was, Chin. 'Course it looks like he managed to get himself hurt and what does _that_ mean for Plan A?"

"Don't sweat it, Danny. The blood smear we found on the kitchen island wasn't all that big and the droplets were growing smaller and smaller as they led down to the beach. I've seen the Boss lose more blood than that after cutting himself shaving. Hell, he's lost more blood than that during SEAL training exercises. And he's pretty damned good at faking unconsciousness. I've seen him do it several times on ops. Plan A is still a go."

"I hope you're right, Tony."

"Relax, Danny, from what I read in his file, talking to some of my contacts still on Active Duty, and working with him the past few weeks, Cmdr. McGarrett's very good at what he does."

"And I appreciate what you're saying, but I work with the man every day and I gotta tell 'ya, I get nervous every time we get in the car. I mean, everybody in this room is military, (lots of dark glares), excuse me, _Navy_, except me and Chin, and Kono, and you guys may be used to being in a firefight in the morning, a wild, 'hang on for dear life' car chase after lunch, and blowing stuff up before dinner, but I, for one, cannot treat this like just another day at the office."

(Danny's voice has been gaining volume during his "tirade" until he is nearly shouting the last few words, and the expression on his face has gone from slightly concerned to outright worry. For a few moments, you could hear a pin drop and the others, including Chin and Kono, are looking at Danny with awe. Caroline is the first to recover and reaches out to take his hand in hers. Her father walks over to place a hand on Danny's shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly.)

"I promise you, Danny, that no one is treating this situation like just another day at the office. Dimitri Kasavich is a very dangerous man, and he is a serious threat to two people we all care about. But he is also a serious threat to people all over the world. If there is the slightest chance we can put an end to him and his arms trading, we have to take it. Sam and Steve knew the risks going into to this, Son. We all have to keep our wits about us so we can get Sam and Steve back in one piece and stop Kasavich permanently. We have to finish this, Danny. Sam and Steve are depending on us."

"I know that, Mike. I guess I'm not as used to this 'thinking outside the box' James Bond kind of stuff as the rest of you are. Hell, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Sam and Steve willingly allowed themselves to be the 'bait' in the trap."

"Hey, Danny, there aren't any two people on this planet better equipped to do this than Sam and Steve."

"I know that, Kono. I just wish there'd been another way."

"We all do, Danny. They'll be okay and this will all be over soon."


	45. Chapter 45

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 15, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Sam is fairly sure that she has rubbed the skin on her wrists raw and accomplished exactly nothing in her efforts to loosen the ropes binding her. Her muscles are screaming in protest of being virtually locked into the same, uncomfortable position for an extended period of time and she is thoroughly pissed off at the world in general when she hears a low, amused voice coming from the direction of the bed and snaps her head up.)

"I hope all that anger's not directed at me, Beautiful."

"Yes it's directed at you! And Dimitri Kasavich and all the rest of the dumbass terrorists in the world, and Danny and Caroline and Kono and Tony and Chin and Uncle Mike and even Aunt Libby! Damn it, Steve, I am sick and tired of this crap! I want to get married! Now!"

(Laughter has been slowly building inside Steve while Sam, looking and sounding for all the world like a petulant little girl, has been speaking, and he cannot keep it from bubbling out of him in spite of the situation in which they find themselves. Seeing her eyes narrow dangerously on him, he attempts to control his mirth but doesn't have much success.)

"We'll, unless Kasavich, or one of his little toy soldiers, is a minister, that's not going to happen right now, Sam."

"Bastard!"

"No, I'm fairly certain my parents were married when I was conceived."

"I am so going to kick your ass when we get out of this!"

"That's my girl."

(Chin and Tony have been tracking the miniscule transponders that were implanted just under the skin in both Sam and Steve before he was discharged from the hospital, and Tony's face breaks into a huge grin when both signals stop moving. Letting out an extremely loud "Hoo Ya!", he grabs his cellular phone as he turns from the screen to address the other people in the room who are looking at him in confusion.)

"The boat has docked at an island that, according to all the records I can find, doesn't belong to anyone, as in _any country_, and it's three miles outside the territorial waters of the United States! Permission to call up my team, Admiral."

"Permission granted, Lieutenant."

"What is going on?"

(Tony grabs Kono with one arm and kisses her hard and quick as he waits for his call to go through. The grin on his face is wide and his eyes are sparkling with energy.)

"They've stopped at an island in international waters, Sweetheart! That means I can bring my SEAL team in on this op Plan B is now in effect. We should be done with this in the next few hours!"

(Grins break out on everyone's face, including Danny's, and, as they have all discussed Plans A, B, and C ad nauseam, everyone moves quickly to initiate his or her part in the overall plan. . . .

Sam and Steve both tense when the boat's engines are cut and they no longer feel the sensation of the boat moving. Exchanging a look that at the same time communicates their love for one another and their determination to put an end to this once and for all, they school their expressions into ones of stoicism and wait for their captor's next move. They don't have to wait long. About ten minutes after the boat stops moving, six armed men, again dressed in black from head to toe and holding wicked looking assault rifles, enter the cabin. Two of them move to Sam and cut the ropes binding her ankles and three do the same with Steve. The sixth man orders both of them to their feet and directs them to leave the cabin and head to the main deck. He promises them that the other will be seriously injured or killed if either of them refuses to cooperate. Rolling her eyes at Steve, Sam sends the man a fierce scowl as she walks past him with her two "escorts" right behind her. Steve and the three men assigned to him follow and he finds he is still having a hard time keeping a grin off his face. . .

Danny, Kono, Chin, Adm. Thrasher, Tony, and the rest of the SEAL team are taken out to the U.S.S. Forrestal by a Navy chopper. The Forrestal is about fifty nautical miles from the island, dubbed "Dumbass Central" by Danny, and will be the command center for the op. Adm. Harte and Gov. Jameson are also flying out to the naval vessel, and Tony, as the senior ranking officer on the SEAL team, begins to brief everyone on the specifics of the extraction while they wait for the others to join them. Tony will be in command of the op, and he's anxious to see how Kono is going to respond to obeying his orders since, technically, she, Chin, and Danny really don't have any legal authority as they are in international waters. Adm. Harte has contacted the Pentagon and received the okay to authorize the three Five-0 officers to act in an official capacity on the op as long as they follow any and all orders issued by the SEAL team's CO. The Captain of the Forrestal has turned over a large conference room to the group and informs Adm. Thrasher that he has received orders to assist them in any way. . .

Sam and Steve are taken to a large, beautiful house on the island and shoved into a large room that turns out to be a very tastefully decorated study. Dimitri Kasavich, dressed in a well-cut and very expensive suit, is standing at a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass that looks out over a beautifully landscaped pool and deck when they are shoved into the room. He slowly turns toward them with a smirk on his face. The man is extremely attractive and Steve experiences a moment of concern. Even though he knows how this has to play out, he would be a lot happier if Kasavich was an old, fat, and hideously ugly man instead. Sam doesn't wait for Kasavich to speak but goes on the offensive immediately.)

"Just what the Hell do you think your doing, Dimitri?"

"Protecting my interests, Samantha. (He motions for one of his men to cut the ropes binding her wrists.) I was quite surprised when I got your message. Why would you, of all people, suddenly decide to commit treason? Certainly not for the money although there's a great deal to be made in my business."

"Because I'm tired of working my ass off always doing the right thing and not being truly . . appreciated for my efforts. (She rubs her wrists while walking forward until she's standing right in front of Kasavich.) Much like you, Dimitri, it isn't about money for me. It's about power."

"Yes, I thought we were a lot alike, but then you continued to live with Cmdr. McGarrett after his release from the hospital. You have continued to sleep with him, Samantha. Why would you do that if you truly wanted to turn your back on your country, on everything you've always known and join me?"

(Putting a small smile on her face, Sam takes another step toward Kasavich and lifts one hand to touch his face gently. Even though he knows that every word Sam speaks and every action she takes is all part of their plan, jealousy slams into Steve with the force of Stinger missile and the fierce glare he throws in their direction is real.)

"I had to make him believe I was still in love with him. I was a fool to have turned you away in Tokyo. You obviously have so much more to offer me than he ever could."

"Perhaps. I am not truly convinced that you things are as they appear to be, Samantha."

"What will it take to convince you of my sincerity, Dimitri?"

"Kill Cmdr. McGarrett."


	46. Chapter 46

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 15, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

"Kill Cmdr. McGarrett."

(Sam's smile never falters nor do her eyes give her away as her brain absorbs the words coming out of the arms dealer's mouth. Instead, she brings her free hand up to lay it on his shoulder and laughs. When she does speak, her voice is low and sexy, and Steve starts running calculus equations in his head in an effort to keep himself under control. Kasavich is not immune to Sam, either, and Steve is somewhat mollified to see that she is getting to the man.)

"Of course I'll kill him, Dimitri. Once we no longer need him."

"Why do we need him? Kill him now and be done with it!"

"We need him because he is the head of the Governor's task force, and, as such, has access to certain security codes we will need to obtain the weapons I'm bringing to the table. Once we have secured those weapons, I will gladly kill him; very slowly and very painfully. We can both take pleasure in watching him die."

(Kasavich studies Sam's face intently for a few moments before sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his body. He can detect no deceit in either her eyes nor her body language, and allows himself a small smile before lifting her chin and kissing her deeply. When he lifts his mouth from hers, she smiles up into his eyes and he laughs outright when he looks over her shoulder and sees the dark fury on Steve's face. Turning Sam so that they are both facing Steve, Kasavich keeps one arm around her waist as he addresses Steve."

"So, Cmdr. McGarrett, how does it feel to be betrayed by the woman you love, hmmm? I believe you are right, Samantha. We will use the good Commander to get what we want and then we will both enjoy watching him die." (Turning to his men, Kasavich gestures with his free hand toward Steve before turning back toward Sam.) "Take Cmdr. McGarrett downstairs and make sure he is well secured. I want at least two guards with him at all times. I'm afraid he may become . . agitated as he thinks about what Samantha and I are doing in the master bedroom."

(That does it! Steve begins to struggle wholeheartedly as he is dragged from the room screaming at Kasavich to keep his hands off of Sam. For her part, Sam is staring at Steve with cool disdain, but her heart is racing with dread. When Kasavich kissed her, she forced herself to allow it; even participate in it as she knew that her life and Steve's depended on whether or not Kasavich believed her. Now, however, she feels the utter disgust for Kasavich well up inside of her, and she is hard pressed not to snatch his arm from her waist. Her mind is furiously working to find an excuse to stay _out_ of the master, or any, bedroom, and she prays that their back-up is on the way. Once Steve is out of the room, Kasavich attempts to kiss her again, but she deflects her face and pulls away from him to walk across the room and look out the window.)

"Before we go any further, Dimitri, we need to talk; settle a few things."

"Business before pleasure, Samantha?"

"Business before anything, Dimitri."

(Gov. Jameson, Adm. Harte, and Adm. Thrasher stand in the CIC aboard the Forrestal and watch as two choppers lift off from the deck. One is carrying Tony and the SEALs to their insertion point and the other is carrying Danny, Kono, and Chin, and a detachment of Marines to the opposite side of the island. Shortly after the choppers lift off, two F-14's, one carrying Caroline as RIO, launch from the ship and head in the same direction as the choppers. The three people exchange looks that are somewhat worried as the two choppers make their way toward their destination. Very soon, both groups from the Forrestal are on the island and making their way toward the house from opposite directions while the two fighter jets circle the sky above to provide aerial recon. It has only been a couple of hours since Sam and Steve were taken from his house yet it feels as if it has been days to the people on the choppers. Danny, Kono, and Chin are all quietly contemplating what's about to happen and mentally preparing themselves.


	47. Chapter 47

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 15, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Kasavich is holding his fifth glass of single-malt Scotch in his hand as he sits on the couch and watches Sam as she stands in front of the fireplace with her arms crossed in front of her. She very clearly and concisely outlines exactly what she expects from a _business_ partnership with Kasavich, and also makes it very clear that she is not willing to negotiate on any of her terms. Knowing that the arms dealer has a fondness for green-eyed blondes, and for her in particular, Sam has spoken slowly and taken her time, refilling his glass each time he has emptied it. She has been able to move about the room as she's been talking, and he has failed to see that she has dumped the contents of her own glass into several of the potted plants scattered about. The alcohol is starting to affect Kasavich and, unfortunately for Sam, he realizes it and puts his glass down on the coffee table and refuses her offer of a refill. He is not exactly agreeable to several of her terms and tells her he wishes to discuss them in more detail. Sam breathes a silent sigh of relief because, although she told him she wouldn't negotiate, doing so will give their friends more time to execute their plan and extract her and Steve. . .

Steve was taken to the basement and placed in a specially constructed cell that is as close to inescapable as he's ever seen. His captors also think the cell is perfect because they made the mistake of untying his hands when placing him in the cell; a decision which causes him to smile slightly. Knowing that Sam has Kasavich under control and that his team is on their way, Steve bides his time waiting for the right opportunity to take out his guards. . . .

The teams on the ground are now communicating only through a pre-set series of clicks over their headsets and both groups are nearing the house and fan out to their pre-assigned positions. . . .

One of the two men assigned to guard Steve makes yet another circuit of the basement room where the cell was constructed. As he passes one side of the cell, Steve simply reaches out between the bars, gets his forearm around the man's throat and squeezes while grabbing the man's gun with his other hand. Steve allows the man's limp form to fall to the ground when he loses consciousness and points the gun at the second guard who is sitting with his back to the cell. Whistling softly, Steve grins darkly as the man turns around and instantly pales at the sight of the other guard's unconscious form. Looking up, the man sees Steve pointing a very deadly weapon at him and immediately throws his hands up in the air in surrender. Steve orders the man to unlock the door to the cell and drag the unconscious man into the cell. Once that is done, and Steve has made sure there are no other weapons on either man, he closes and locks the cell door and cautiously makes his way upstairs and back toward the study. . . .

Kasavich is getting restless and gets up from his seat on the couch and approaches Sam. She glances around as he approaches her and spins to face him.)

"Do not be difficult about this, Samantha. You will be very happy with the compensation you receive and you know that I will always appreciate your brilliance." (He places his hands on her shoulders and slowly slides them down to her wrists where his thumbs rub in slow, circular motions over the sensitive skin. Kasavich believes the shudder that runs through Sam is caused by her desire for him. She knows that it is utter and complete revulsion for his touch and she vows he will go no further.) "Now, I think it is time we stopped talking about business and started talking about a more personal arrangement between the two of us."

"Do you honestly think you can distract me, Dimitri? We will settle our differences regarding our business arrangement _before_ we move on to anything more personal or there will not be anything more personal."

"You are quite stubborn, aren't you, Samantha?"

"I'm quite determined."

"Well, perhaps it is time I showed you just how determined I can be."

(Tony's SEALS and the Five-0 teams have been quietly eliminating the tangos guarding the house and make entry at four different points of the building. Quietly and carefully, they move inside and spread out to clear the guards on the inside. . .

Steve has reached the main floor and is ten feet from the door to the study when he hears the angry curse that hisses out of Sam as Kasavich throws her to the floor and covers her struggling body with his. Sam has decided that she has had enough and is just about to unleash her fury on Kasavich physically when his body is suddenly jerked off of hers and Steve's fist meets his face. Kasavich crumples silently to the floor and Steve reaches down, grasps Sam's hand, and pulls her up and into his strong arms. A quick glance assures him that she is fine physically and his mouth captures hers in a heated kiss so that he can reassure his heart. Just as he lifts his head Tony and the SEALS enter the room from the hallway as Danny, Kono, Chin, and the Marines enter from the pool area. Sam and Steve, still locked in each other's arms throw both groups amused grins.)

"About time you guys showed up."

"Damn it, Boss, you didn't leave any bad guys for us."

"Sorry about that, Lieutenant. Guess you guys will just have to settle for being our ride home."


	48. Chapter 48

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 16, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(It is late the following afternoon when Sam and Steve finally find themselves back at Steve's house after hours of debriefing. They are both exhausted, both mentally and physically, and take a couple of blankets down to the beach to watch the sunset. For the first time in weeks, they are the only two people at the house and they are both enjoying the fact that they are truly alone. They are sitting side by side watching the shifting hues of the sky as the sun drops behind the horizon and listening to the calming sound of the waves gently washing up on the sand. Steve glances over and his breath hitches at the vision of Sam, her golden blonde hair gently blowing in the breeze, her eyes closed and her face tilted upward toward the sinking sun, and he sends up a silent prayer of thanks that they're both all right.)

"I love you, Sam."

"I've never doubted that. I did think you were going to come out of your skin when I left Kasavich kiss me, though."

"Yeah, _that_ was interesting. Even though I knew you had to do it, I still didn't like it. I don't ever want to see you in another man's arms again as long as I live; it almost killed me, Sam."

"You? It took everything I had not to kill him right then and there. The only thing that kept me from it was knowing that his goons would have killed you before I could stop them. When that slimy bastard touched me . . God, I don't want any man's hands on me ever again except yours, Steve."

"I can arrange that. How about right now?"

"Well, Commander, I believe we might be guilty public lewdness or something along those lines unless we take this inside."

"Works for me. Why waste a perfectly good bed?"

(Caroline sits on the edge of her sofa with a glass of wine cradled in both her hands and looks down at Danny who is sitting on the floor directly in front of her. Caroline looks into Danny's blue eyes and sees several different emotions warring there. The most predominant one, however, is something that sends warmth flooding through her and she smiles softly.)

"So, maybe we can all have a little peace and quiet for a while. I know _I'm_ certainly looking forward to some down time."

"Yeah, well, _I'm_ looking forward to some time with you, gorgeous, even if it means I have to have that little talk with your mother."

"You have nothing to worry about, Danny. After what we've just been through my mother will be a piece of cake. Besides, my father thinks you're totally . . ."

"You're father thinks I'm totally what?"

"He's okay with you, Danny, okay with you and me."

"Glad to hear it but that isn't what you were going to say, Caroline. Try again."

"Fishing for compliments, Romeo?"

"No. I'm not fishing for anything and you damned well know it."

"Damn, I keep forgetting you're a detective."

"Caroline . . ."

"All right! My father thinks you're . . the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And you don't?"

"Of course I do! I just thought that if, you know, you knew that, you'd feel obligated to . . ."

"Do something about it?"

"Look, Danny, we're both too tired to be having this conversation right now. Let's get some sleep and then we can . . . "

"Marry me."

"Excuse me?"

"Marry me."

"I'm sorry. Did you just ask me to . . ."

"Marry. Me. I didn't stutter, Caroline."

"Oh my God."

"So, is that a 'yes'?"

"Oh. My. God."

"A simple, straightforward 'yes' or 'no' would be appreciated here, Caroline."

"You want to marry me?"

"What, I'm not speaking English?"

"I . . You . . "

(Danny is finding it very difficult to keep from laughing at Caroline's obvious state of shocked confusion, and he takes the glass of wine out of her hands and carefully places it on the table beside the sofa. Pulling her gently down onto the floor and moving so that she is lying flat on her back with him loaning over her, he kisses her very softly and sweetly and runs his thumb down her cheek.)

"I love you, Caroline. Everything in my life has been ten times better since I met you. Grace loves you and you're great with her. Anyone who earns my daughter's love has got to be a very special person. When I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. I see your smile or hear your laugh or the expression on your face when we're making love sometimes when I'm not with you and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me, Caroline, please?"

(Tears have been pooling in Caroline's eyes as Danny has been speaking and her entire body shudders with emotion as he smiles down at her. Reaching up to pull his face down to hers, Caroline kisses him with all the emotion she is capable of and then answers him as well just so there is not misunderstanding.)

"I love you, too, Danny, and, yes, I'll marry you."

(Kono and Tony are, once again, walking along the beach at Kawela Bay hand in hand and enjoying the moonlight reflecting off the water. They aren't talking but just enjoying being in each other's presence without any of the stress of the past few weeks. After they have been walking for about twenty minutes, Tony pulls Kono into his arms and looks down into her beautiful brown eyes.)

"I love you."

"Whoa. Did you just say . . "

"That I love you. Yeah, I did. I know things have happened fast between us, Kono, and I hope I haven't just made the biggest tactical error of my life, but truth and honor are important to me. The truth is that I love you, and it wouldn't be very honorable of me to keep that from you. If you want to turn around and walk away right now, it'll just about kill me but I won't stop you."

"Are you nuts? An honest-to-God nice guy who just happens to be the hottest man on the entire planet tells me he loves me and you think I'm going to walk away?"

(And she grabs his head with both hands and pulls him down into one extremely hot kiss.)

"For the record, I happen to love you, too, Lieutenant."


	49. Chapter 49

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 17, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Although they are all on-call, the Governor has given the Five-0 team permission to take some "down time" meaning that they do not have to go into the office for a couple of days. Steve's sense of duty pulls at him for all of about two minutes until he looks at Sam and decides that, since they have Dimitri Kasavich in custody, there really is nothing at the office that can't wait for a few days. He and Sam spend the first day diving, Caroline and Danny, having decided to keep their engagement a secret for the time being, spend time with her parents so her mother can get to know Danny as well as her father does, Kono and Tony sneak off to a small, yet very nice resort for a couple of days, and Chin finally gets to take Lana Palea out to dinner. Ten minutes after picking her up, Chin discovers that he genuinely likes Lana and the feeling seems to be mutual. They have a lovely dinner and then go to a movie. It's the first time that Chin has ever not minded watching a "chick flick", and he has their next date already planned in his head before the movie ends. As he gets into his car after walking Lana to her door, kissing her goodnight, and getting her to agree to go to the beach with him the next day, Chin is happier than he's been in a long time. The second day of their "mini-vacation", Caroline is on the phone with Sam at a fairly early hour to discuss re-scheduling Sam and Steve's wedding. Within just a few hours the two young women have contacted everyone necessary to finalize the arrangements and the date is set for the following Saturday. Since they basically had everything in place before Steve was shot, there isn't much for them to do except relax for the next three days. The only change to any of the plans is that Caroline's parents insist on hosting the after-rehearsal dinner patiently explaining that, since they, in effect, became Sam's parents when her own parents were killed, it's their privilege to do so and she's just going to have to let them. Sam finally gives in and promptly gets teary-eyed with love for her adopted parents. Two days before the wedding, Sam and Steve join Caroline and Danny at her apartment for dinner, and both of them know something's up the moment they step through the door. After dinner, the two couples move out to Caroline's balcony for after-dinner drinks, and Danny makes sure everyone has a glass of wine in their hand before he and Caroline share their news.)

"Caroline and I have something to tell you guys, and we thought about waiting until you got back from your honeymoon, but, truthfully, neither one of us is sure we can wait that long."

"Oh my God, you're getting married!"

"Damn it, Sam, how the Hell do you always know what I'm up to before I tell you?"

"Because we've been best friends since seventh grade? I can read you like a book, Caroline. Haven't you figured that out by now?"

"We aren't going to tell anyone else, including my parents or Grace, until after your wedding."

"Why the Hell not?"

"Because the next few days are all about you and Steve, Sam! After everything that's happened, you two deserve to be the center of some positive attention for a change. I wouldn't dream of doing anything that will take the focus off of you. Best friends don't do that to each other."

(By now, both Sam and Caroline are teary-eyed and Steve and Danny are smiling indulgently at their ladies. While the two women are hugging each other with tears running down both their faces, Steve finally gets to shake Danny's hand in congratulations.)

"Glad you decided to move to Hawaii yet, Danny?"

"What do you think, boy genius?"

"I think that we're two very lucky men."

"Can't argue with that."

(The next couple of days fly by and the night before Sam's and Steve's wedding finally arrives. Since Mike Grayton is catering the reception as his wedding gift to Sam and Steve, Caroline's parents host the after-rehearsal dinner at the Officer's Club at Pearl. Lana Palea attends the festivities with Chin and is warmly welcomed by everyone. Steve makes it a point to personally thank her, again, for putting up with him when he was in the hospital. Chin looks very happy, and Kono is very happy for her cousin. She and Tony are nearly inseparable and she looks happier than any of them, including Chin, have ever seen her. Caroline and Danny aren't shy about holding hands or exchanging quick kisses when they think no one is looking but it's obvious that they are very much in love with one another and her parents seem to be in complete support of their relationship. Sam is literally glowing and there is nothing but love shining in her eyes whenever she looks at Steve. For his part, Steve cannot seem to keep his eyes or hands off of Sam, and is loathe to allow her to get more than a few feet from him. Grace Williams, who has spent the day with Caroline and Danny, is extremely excited to finally get to spend some time with Sam and Steve. After all, she hasn't seen them since before Steve was shot, and she is beyond happy to be with them again. What really has Grace excited is the fact that she gets to attend a girls only slumber party at Caroline's that night, and even has special permission to stay up later than usual. Just before midnight, Caroline and Kono pry Sam away from Steve, get Grace, and head for Caroline's apartment. The look of pure misery on Steve's face as the ladies head out the door is amusing to everyone else, but no one dares say a word. Danny and Tony do their best to cheer Steve up, but since their ladies are gone, too, Chin, Lana, and Adm. and Mrs. Thrasher try to take up the slack. The fact of the matter is that, after the bride and her attendants leave, the groom is not a very happy man.


	50. Chapter 50

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIFTY **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 17, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Once the girls reach Caroline's, they all put on their pajamas, make some popcorn, and start channel surfing as they're all too keyed up to sleep. Grace, in her usual straight-forward fashion, takes center stage and proceeds to put Sam, Caroline, and Kono through their paces.)

"My mom told me there's this thing where the Bride throws her bouquet to all the single women at the wedding when she leaves and whoever catches it will get married next. Are you going to throw your bouquet, Sam?"

"Of course, I am, Gracie. Have you been holding out on us, Kiddo? Is there a young man who's caught your eye? 'Cause if there is, you need to tell us right now so we can check him out before your Daddy finds out. Knowing him, he'll want an FBI background check on this kid."

"Ewwww! Boys are gross! I just wanted to ask you to throw your bouquet to Caroline."

(The three older ladies exchange a glance and Sam and Kono see the tears start to form in Caroline's eyes. Gently turning Grace to face her, Caroline takes a deep, steadying breath and looks intently at Danny's daughter.)

"Why do you want Sam to throw her bouquet to me, Sweetheart?"

"So you'll marry my Daddy, Silly. I mean, he loves you, I love you, and I'm pretty sure you love us, so you and Daddy should get married. That's what grown ups do when they love each other, right?"

(Caroline sends Sam a desperate look that screams, "What Do I Do Now?" Kono, completely unaware of the fact that Caroline and Danny _are_ engaged, smiles at Grace and then looks up at the expressions on Sam's and Caroline's faces and decides to run interference for Caroline.)

"Grown ups like to take their time and get to know one another before they get married, Grace. Remember the day you all came to the surfing exhibition and then we went swimming at Steve's? Sam explained that she and Steve had known each other for years before they decided to get married. Your father and Caroline have only known each other a few months."

"But they love each other, Kono."

"Grace, do _you_ want your dad and me to get married?"

(Grace puts her little arms around Caroline's neck and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and Caroline just melts.)

"I do, Caroline. I know Daddy loves you and I love you, too. Very, very much."

"I love you, too Grace. Tonight and tomorrow, however, are all about Sam and Steve, and our job tonight is to celebrate Sam's last night as a single lady. Let's go find something to drink with that popcorn, okay?"

(A little while later, Caroline grabs her cellular phone and slips out onto the balcony to call Danny while Sam and Kono entertain Grace. There's a lot of noise in the background when he answers and Caroline has no doubt that he, Chin, and Tony have taken Steve out bar-hopping.)

"Hey, gorgeous, what's up?"

"Danny Williams, if you guys get Steve drunk and keep him out all night Sam won't have to kill you. I'll do it for her!"

"Calm down, Caroline, we're just about to leave and I'm going to make sure Steve gets home. And he's no where near drunk. In fact, the minute you guys left with Sam he turned into a stick-in-the-mud."

"Smart man. Listen, Grace just dropped a bombshell into the middle of our 'girl talk'. She told Sam she wanted her to throw her bouquet to me so that you and I would get married."

"She what?"

"Yeah, Romeo, I'm thinking you need to get your six over here ASAP. We're going to have to tell her. Tonight. And you might as well bring Chin and Tony and Steve with you."

"You sure about this?"

"Just do it, Danny!"

(Less than twenty minutes later, there is a knock on Caroline's front door and she can hear Danny's voice trying to convince Steve to stay outside. Steve, of course, is having none of it and is, in fact, the first one through the door when Caroline opens it. It seems that bouquet throwing isn't the only wedding tradition Grace's mother shared with her and she throws herself at Sam and pushing her toward the spare bedroom. So surprised is Sam that she allows the small, but strong, little girl to push her inside and slam the door before she knows what hits her. Grace, her arms crossed in front of her, stands in front of the door and blocks the way. Steve is hard pressed not to laugh out loud at the sight of little Grace glaring up at him and standing guard between him and the door that separates him from Sam.)

"Hey, Gracie. May I see Sam, please?"

"Nope. It's bad luck for the Groom to see the Bride before the wedding. Don't you think you've had enough bad luck lately, Steve?"

(Totally blown away by Grace's perception, Steve and the other adults look at one another with a new appreciation for Grace Williams. Sam's laughter can be heard on the other side of the door.)

"She's got you there, Sailor. Will it be all right if Steve and I just talk through the door, Gracie?"

"Well . . . I guess that'll be okay, but I'm staying right here."

(As he had planned to talk some serious trash, Steve is torn between groaning in frustration and laughing out loud. Deciding to go with laughing, Steve throws his hands up in surrender and tells Sam "Never mind." Caroline sends Danny a meaningful look and he asks Grace to join them on the balcony. Grace, however, refuses to budge until her Uncle Chin takes her place guarding the door to Sam's room. Once he takes her place, Grace joins her father and Caroline on the deck and Steve takes a step toward the door. Chin, however, takes his assignment seriously and, crossing his arms in front of him, raises his eyebrow at Steve. Kono and Tony burst into laughter at the expression on Steve's face, and Steve tries _the look_ on Chin but that doesn't work, either. . .

Once Caroline, Grace, and Danny are outside, Danny and Caroline sit down on the wicker loveseat and Danny sits Grace in his lap.)

"What'd you want to talk to me about, Daddy?"

"Caroline told me you want us to get married."

"I do. I know you love Caroline and Caroline loves you and I love both of you, so I want you to get married."

"Well, Monkey, it just so happens that I've already asked Caroline to marry me."

"And I said, 'yes', Grace."

"You did! Wow, this is so cool! When are you gonna' do it?"

"We haven't really talked about that, yet, Sweetheart. Your Daddy and I really haven't told anyone other than Sam and Steve. Tomorrow's their wedding day and we want everyone's attention to be on them."

"Oh. I can keep a secret, but can we tell Kono and Tony and Uncle Chin?"

"I think we're going to have to now, Grace. How about you let me tell your mother, though; it's something she needs to hear from me."

"Okay, Daddy." She throws an arm around each of them and hugs them tightly.) "I love you both!"

(Steve truly cannot believe that Chin is actually keeping him from going into Sam's room, and Sam's laughter isn't helping matters.)

"I'd come in there and talk with you, Sam, but there's a stubborn, close to being unemployed member of the Kelly family standing in my way."

"Honestly, Steve, it's not going to kill you to be a little patient. We'll be married in less than twenty-four hours and then no one can separate us."

"Twelve hours, thirty-six minutes, and seventeen seconds, Sam."

"Wow. . . I love you, Sailor."

"Love you, too, Beautiful."

"What's so important that you guys came all the way over here and my cousin is on the verge of losing his job over anyway?"

"Caroline and Danny needed to talk with Gracie. They needed . . "

"Steve! Don't you dare say another word!"

"They what?"

"Sorry, Kono, I so do not want Sam mad at me right now."

(They are saved when Grace, followed by a grinning Caroline and Danny, comes bouncing back into the room and announces the news to everyone present.)

"Caroline and my dad are getting married!"

"What?"

"You are?"

"When?"

"Danny and I are getting married and we haven't set a date yet."

(After a few minutes of chaos in which hugs and handshakes are exchanged by all, except Sam who is, once again, being guarded by Grace, goodnights are exchanged and the guys take their leave. Only when Kono tells her that the guys have, indeed, left will Grace agree for Sam to come out of the bedroom. . .

The day of Sam's and Steve's wedding is as close to perfect as it can be and starts off with the ladies heading out to breakfast before spending the morning at an exclusive salon and spa getting their hair done as well as manicures and pedicures. Danny, Chin, and Tony take Steve to breakfast as well, but the guys spend the morning back at Steve's house watching whatever's on ESPN. . .

At two o'clock that afternoon, Sam walks down the aisle on the arm of her adopted father. Sam is more beautiful than ever to Steve, and that's saying something. Her wedding gown is a strapless design that is covered with tiny seed pearls and her off-the-face veil is secured with a circle of white, silk roses. She has chosen to wear he hair up for the wedding, she is radiant and the overall effect takes Steve's breath away. Steve looks resplendent in his dress whites, and there is no doubt to anyone present that he loves Sam more than anything. The traditional ceremony is beautiful, even the Governor is seen to be dabbing at her eyes, and both Sam and Steve have tears in their eyes as they face each other and recite their vows. Finally, the wedding rings are on their fingers and the chaplain pronounces them husband and wife. Steve's wish finally comes true when he takes Sam in his arms and kisses his _wife_ for the very first time in front of their assembled guests. Everyone moves to La Mer where the reception is being held in a private dining room and in the gardens just off the back of the building. Mike Grayton has outdone himself and everything is wonderful. Both the Bride's and Groom's cakes are spectacular and there is much laughing as Sam and Steve attempt to feed each other pieces of the cakes without becoming covered in icing. Finally, Caroline and Kono excuse themselves to go and help Sam change so that she and Steve can leave the reception for their honeymoon. In a few minutes, Sam, now wearing a pale peach, one-piece dress that hugs her figure flatteringly and a pair of white, heeled sandals, her hair flowing loosely down her back and around her shoulders, stands midway up the spiral staircase that descends into the garden and grins as she gets ready to throw her bouquet. Steve has already removed her garter and thrown it straight at Danny, and Sam turns with her back to the group and throws the bouquet backwards. Of course, she is a fighter pilot and, as such, has excellent aim and the flowers fall deftly into Caroline's hands. Even in heels, Sam is extremely fast and she is down the stairs and she and Steve are running, hand in hand, toward her Porsche as birdseed rains down on them. Within minutes, they have sped away and their friends head back inside. A few minutes later, Kono and Tony excuse themselves and head to Steve's to take the newlyweds to the airport so they won't have to leave either of their vehicles in long-term parking.)


	51. Chapter 51

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 17, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(When Kono and Tony get to Steve's, they find that he has changed out of his dress whites and into a pair of slacks and a polo shirt, and his and Sam's luggage is sitting by the front door. Sam and Steve are standing on the back deck, arms wrapped around each other, and they are in the middle of a very serious kiss when Kono and Tony walk out onto the deck from the kitchen.)

"You two seriously need to get a room."

"Got one, Kono, and the quicker you get us to the airport, the quicker we can get to it."

"Are you finally going to tell me where you're taking me for our honeymoon, Steve?"

"Nope. It's still a surprise. You'll like it. Promise."

"You do realize that I'm going to know as soon as we get to the airport, right?"

"No, you won't."

"Yeah, I will. I mean, if we get on a plane to . . New Orleans, then we're obviously going to New Orleans."

"We're not going to New Orleans, and you won't know. I mean, eventually you'll figure it out, but it won't be when we leave Hawaii."

"You're enjoying this aren't you, Sailor?"

"I'm enjoying this very much, Mrs. McGarrett."

(They had been making their way through the house to the front door, but Sam stops midstride and a slow grin spreads across her beautiful face.)

"Oh my God, that's the first time anyone's called me Mrs. McGarrett. I love it!"

"Me, too, Beautiful. Think it's catchy."

"God, Steve, I love you."

"I love you, too, Sam, more than I've ever loved anyone."

"Good God, Tony let's get them to the airport before they start the wedding night before they even leave the house!"

(When they reach the airport, Steve directs Tony to the Delta Airlines terminal and then to the area for flights leaving for the mainland. They say goodbye to Kono and Tony once their bags have been checked and head inside the terminal. Sam doesn't say a word as they check-in and locate the gate for their flight to San Francisco. Steve just looks at her with that sexy little grin of his that drives her crazy, and she can't help but grin back. Giving up on getting him to tell her where they're going, she deliberately runs her tongue along her lower lip and smirks when she sees him squirm. Fortunately, their flight is called for boarding fairly quickly, and Steve grabs her hand and nearly drags her onto the plane. . .

Danny and Rachel had agreed that he would take Grace back to Rachel's and Stan's on Saturday evening after the wedding instead of waiting until Sunday as Grace had been invited to a sleep over at a friend's house. After talking it over with Caroline, Danny decides he might as well tell Rachel he's getting married before Grace accidentally lets it slip. When he and Grace get to the house, he gives Grace a hug and kiss bye and she goes upstairs to get ready for the sleep over. Stan, as usual, is out of the country on business, and Danny asks Rachel if they can talk. Looking at him with some trepidation, Rachel invites Danny into the kitchen for coffee. Once they're both seated at the breakfast table, Danny looks Rachel straight in the eye and breaks the news.)

"I need to tell you something, Rachel."

"Let me guess, Daniel . . You're getting married."

"Yeah. How'd you . . ."

"Danny, Grace has been very vocal in her admiration for your fiancée'. I believe I knew this was going to happen when you decided to introduce Grace to Caroline."

"Wow. I didn't even know this was going happen when I did that."

"Yes, you did; you just didn't realize it at the time. We may have had our differences, Danny, but I know that you would never do anything that would hurt or upset our daughter. Caroline sounds like a wonderful woman and she's obviously good for you. Grace adores her."

"She loves Grace, Rachel, and she loves me. I need you to be okay with this."

(Rachel looks down at the floor for a moment and her face reddens with embarrassment when she returns her gaze to Danny's.)

"I'm happy for you, Danny, truly. And, thank you. I never had this conversation with you before I married Stan; I just told you that you'd have to accept it, accept him. I'd love to meet your Caroline. After all, she's going to be Grace's step-mother."

**A/N: This story will be wrapping up in the next couple of chapters. I'm considering a third story in this series which would, of course, be a continuation this storyline but I haven't yet made my decision. Any input, comments, and/or advice any of you may have would be greatly appreciated. Please let me hear from you, and thank you all so much for your comments and reviews! Michelle**


	52. Chapter 52

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 20,2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Danny lets himself into Caroline's apartment and nearly drools at the delectable aroma coming from the kitchen. Caroline is just taking a roast out of the oven and smiles as he comes through the door. She's been on pins and needles ever since Danny left to take Grace home knowing that he was going to tell Rachel they were getting married, but the smile on Danny's face and his relaxed body language puts her at ease.)

"How'd it go with Rachel?"

"A lot better than I expected. Grace has been singing your praises to her mom."

"Really? Danny, you don't think that's upset Rachel, do you? I mean, she doesn't think I'm, I don't know, competing with her for Grace's affection, does she?"

"Of course not. Grace loves her mother very much and Rachel knows that. Actually, Rachel thanked me for talking to her about our getting married. See, when she and Stan got married, she just called me up and told me Grace had a step-father and I'd just have to deal with it. She's okay with this, Caroline, and she wants to meet you."

"I totally get that. I'm going to be Grace's step-mother, so I completely understand Rachel wanting to meet me. I would certainly want to get to know the woman my daughter was going to be spending a lot of time with if I were Rachel."

"So, you're okay with going out to dinner with Rachel and Stan?"

"Hey, I'm game if you are, Romeo. Although, knowing how much you detest Stan this ought to be interesting."

"Funny thing, but I really don't resent Stan the way I used to."

"When did this happen?"

"About the time I realized I was falling in love with you. You've changed me, Caroline. Since we've been together, everything in my life is so much better. I honestly hadn't realized just how cynical and pessimistic I'd become before you came into my life. But you, you're so positive and full of life. You're always putting other people first. Like when Sam was being held by the terrorists in Kabul and we were all camped out at the office. You not only brought us food and made us eat, but you made us all rest, and you got on the phone and started calling anybody and everybody you could think of to help us find Sam. Now, I know that you and Sam have been best friends for, well, forever, but you didn't just do those things for Sam; you did them for _all_ of us; you did them for me. . . . You've given me hope when I had none, you've given me strength when I needed it, and you've given me your love freely asking nothing in return. You've made me see the world in a whole new light, Caroline. I love you so very, very much."

"I don't think you were all that cynical or pessimistic, Danny. I think you were bitter after a less than amicable divorce and that you felt like Rachel was trying to take your daughter away from you. She really wasn't, you know, but I can understand how you might have thought so. And, wow, thank you for all the praise, but I'm just an ordinary person with ordinary beliefs; one of which is that, as long as I can, I'm going to do what I can to help people I care about if I think they need me. And . . . I love you more than I've ever loved anyone and you've been very good for me, too, you know. You . . "balance" me. I can't imagine my life without you in it and I don't ever want to have to try."

"Well, okay then. Getting married as soon as Sam and Steve get back from their honeymoon work for you?"

"Whoa, there, Romeo. As much as I want to become your wife, I only plan on doing this once and I'd like to have the whole wedding thing. I think it's probably going to take longer than two or three weeks to pull that together."

"Okay, I get that. How long?'

"Oh my God, you're really serious, aren't you?"

"Damned right, I really serious! I. Want. To. Marry. You. ASAP."

"Can you hold on for a couple of months, Romeo? I'm fairly certain that, between Sam, Kono, my mother, and me, we can put together a beautiful wedding in a few weeks' time."

"Okay, I'm giving you eight weeks. If you can't pull it together in that length of time, we're eloping."

"We are not eloping."

"Eight weeks, Caroline."

"Okay, one, we are not going to elope; two, we are not going to fight about our wedding, and; three, you know you're going to give in anyway, so why are we even discussing this."

"Wanted to see if I could get a rise out of you, and, yeah, I'm gonna' cave."

**A/N: Sorry this is so short, but I wanted to get an update out since it's been a couple of days. The next chapter will be about Sam's and Steve's honeymoon, among other things. Thanks for reading and for the kind reviews! Michelle**


	53. Chapter 53

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 22, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(As they arrive at The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay near San Francisco, Sam is appropriately impressed by the beauty of the hotel. Steve hasn't said another word about their honeymoon except to tell her that this is **not** their final destination. Once they are alone in their suite having just finished a late dinner, they are both able to really relax for the first time all day. There is a full moon shining on the Pacific Ocean, and they have a beautiful view of the shimmering water from their balcony. Telling Steve she'll be right back, Sam disappears into the bedroom. A few minutes later, Steve is leaning his arms on the balcony railing and watching the waves crash against the rocks when he hears Sam's voice softly calling his name. Standing up and turning around, Steve loses his breath. Sam, clad in a white, sheer lace negligee that hugs her curves like a second skin, is slowly walking toward him with pure, unadulterated lust written all over her face. Instantly, he is painfully hard and has a difficult time remembering to breathe. He is so blown away by the sheer perfection of the woman in front of him that he can't so much as blink. By the time Sam stops directly in front of him, however, Steve has more than recovered from the temporary paralysis that had a hold over him. Sam's emerald green eyes are glittering with need as she gazes up at him and there is an answering fire burning in Steve's. He reaches up to cup her face with his right hand as his left arm slides around her waist and pulls her up tight against him. Sam's hands rest on his chest and they look into each other's eyes for a few moments as they both realize that they are about to make love for the very first time as husband and wife. After years of waiting, Steve finally, _finally_ has what he wants; Samantha Murdock is now Samantha McGarrett. His heart feels like it's about to burst with love for this beautiful, smart, brave woman who is his wife, and he ever so gently touches her face reverently. Her skin feels like silk beneath his fingers and he feels as if he could drown in her eyes. Sam feels the solid strength of his arm around her waist, can feel the pounding of his heart beneath her hands, and sees the love in his eyes. In this moment, she realizes that the one thing she tried to run away from all those years is the very thing she wanted most in the world. Her need grows and is reflected in her eyes and Steve wastes no time in picking her up and carrying her to the huge bed which dominates the room. Ever so gently laying her down, he covers her body with his and kisses her softly and sweetly. Without either of them saying a word, they both understand that they are going to take their time, go very slowly, and make their wedding night very special. Steve's every movement is reverent and gentle and Sam has never before felt so adored. Steve's kisses are slow and sweet and his hands are ever so gentle with each touch. They spend an infinite amount of time just touching as if trying to memorize every angle, line, and plane of the other's face. Sam's fingers drift slowly over the hard muscles of Steve's shoulders and arms and she marvels at the sculpted perfection of her husband's body. Desire floods through her and she lifts her head to capture his mouth with hers. Steve's hands move slowly and sensuously over Sam's lace clad body and he pushes away the urge to take her hard and fast. This is their wedding night and he wants it to be one they'll never forget. Sam has managed to pull his shirt from his pants and is working it up his body, but she stops and slowly runs her hands over every inch of exposed skin. Their kisses slowly become more and more heated and they stop only when it becomes necessary to breathe. Sam finally tugs his shirt up far enough that he has to momentarily lift his body from hers to remove it and he quickly flings it to the floor so he can resume his slow exploration of her body. Sam is already working on getting his belt and pants undone and Steve can't help but grin at her eagerness. He finally decides that, if his wife wants him that badly, he should give the lady what she wants. Moving away from her for mere seconds, he quickly rids himself of the rest of his clothing. The raw hunger he sees in Sam's eyes when he is standing before her ramps up his desire to a whole new level. She sits up on her knees in the middle of the bed and looks at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Moonlight washes over her and Steve's heart nearly stops. There is no doubt in his mind that he has never seen anything more sensual in his entire life. He moves back to the bed and, reaching down with both hands, lifts the lacy gown up and over her head and tosses it to the floor. There are no longer any barriers between them and need is rolling off both of them in waves. They come together slowly, arms sliding around each other and mouths meeting in a kiss that quickly becomes more demanding and heated that soft and sweet. Steve deftly turns so that Sam is lying on her back and covers her body with his. Their kisses are much more hungry now and need is beginning to take control of them both. Steve tears his mouth from Sam's and drops hot, wet kisses upon her neck and collarbone until he reaches her breasts where he licks and gently bites first one and then the other until Sam nearly screams with pleasure. She can feel his erection pressing against her stomach, and she wants him to be inside of her. Calling his name raggedly, Sam is nearly sobbing as she begs him to take her. All of Steve's determination to take things slowly drains away at the sound of Sam's voice, and he cannot refuse her anything. Demanding that she look at him, Steve waits until she complies before giving her what she wants. Once her eyes are locked on his, he slowly and very deliberately slides inside her warmth and doesn't stop until they are as close as they can possibly get. Looking down, Steve sees want and need and desire and love in Sam's emerald green eyes and he falls that much farther in love with her. He begins to move slowly within her and feels the exquisite sensations only Sam can give him begin to course through his body. Her nails rake over his shoulders and back as she urges him to increase his pace, and their breathing becomes ragged. Sam's blood is on fire and she is desperate to reach that pinnacle of pleasure that only Steve can take her to. Faster and faster Steve drives into her and Sam meets his every stroke as if they were made for one another. Just when she is sure she will die from pleasure, Sam shatters around Steve and takes him with her into an achingly sweet oblivion. Many long minutes later, Steve gathers Sam's limp form in his arms and pulls her close to him, pulls the covers up over them both, and returns his wife's whispered words of love. They are the only two people on the planet and this room is their Heaven.)

**A/N: I was going to write more in this chapter to include some other folks but then I decided that Sam and Steve's wedding night deserved a chapter all to itself. Can't help it, I'm "mushy". Michelle**


	54. Chapter 54

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 23, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

(Caroline awakens to sunlight slipping between the drapes in her bedroom and sighs contentedly at the feeling of Danny's arms wrapped securely around her. She can't remember a time when she's ever been this happy. Sam finally married the love of her life yesterday, she's going to be marrying the love of hers in just a few, short weeks, and she's getting a beautiful, sweet, and very smart step-daughter. As the thought strikes her that she never thought she was cut out to be a mother, Caroline lets out a very unladylike snort)

"What was that for?"

"Oops. Sorry, Romeo, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't. I've been awake for a while. I was just enjoying lying here holding the most beautiful woman in the world. . .Why did you just snort?"

"I did not snort."

"Yeah, you did."

"I did not snort, Danny."

"Yes, you did, Caroline."

"Did not."

"Did, too."

"Didn't."

"Did. Quit trying to change the subject. Why did you just snort, and yes, you did."

"Fine. If you must know, I was just thinking about the fact that I never thought I'd be a mother, and now I couldn't be happier that I'm getting Grace."

"She's a sweetheart. . . Hey, are you marrying me for my daughter?"

"Of course, I am, Danny. Any fool can plainly see that I have absolutely no feelings for you at all. I just want Grace."

"Glad we got that cleared up. So, what do you want to do today?"

"I dunno. Stay in bed all day?"

"Stop taking my lines!"

"Sorry."

"Still waiting."

"What do you want to do today?"

"I have no idea . . Other than staying in bed all day?"

(The problem, however, is solved for them when Danny's cellular phone rings. Caller I.D. says it's Caroline's dad.)

"Hey, Mike."

"Good morning, Danny. Why don't you and my daughter haul your sixes out of bed and join Libby and me down at the marina. Thought we'd take the boat out for the day and just relax."

"Sounds like a great idea, Mike. Give us an hour?"

"Sounds good. Meet us at the Marina restaurant for breakfast."

(Danny tosses his phone back on the bedside table and rolls over to see Caroline glaring at him.)

"What?"

"You just told my father we'd me them in an hour."

"Well, yeah."

"Why are we meeting them, why didn't you bother to ask me before you agreed, and what the Hell happened to spending the day in bed?"

"Whoa. Your folks want us to have breakfast with them and then go sailing. I thought you'd want to spend the day with your parents especially since it will be the perfect time to tell them we're getting married, and . . . Wow. You really wanted to spend the day in bed? God, I'm an idiot!"

"Yeah, you are! Well, get up, Romeo, we're having breakfast with my folks and then spending the day on the boat. My father hates it when people are late, so move it!"

(Kono and Tony were up early and at the beach not long after the sun came up in hopes of catching some really good early morning waves. Kono was very pleasantly surprised to find that Tony is quite a good surfer and they go every chance they get. Just one more thing to make her fall that much more in love with him. Since they've been dating he hasn't been called up unexpectedly, but she know it's coming. She's a little worried that, when it does happen, she's not going deal with it too well. But, she told him she could handle it, so she's not about to back away. Kono is hopelessly in love with Tony, and she's scared to death. As they are loading his Jeep to head back to Kono's apartment, Tony looks out over the water.)

"Wonder where the Boss took Sam for their honeymoon?"

"Won't know until they get back. He was being so secretive about it and it was driving Sam crazy."

"Knowing him, it was someplace where they could go diving or sailing every day."

"The Boss does like to dive."

"You hungry?"

"Well, we got here at six o'clock this morning and it's close to eleven. What do you think?"

"I think, Off. Kalakaua, that I'd better feed you before you take my head off my shoulders."

"I knew you were a smart man."

"Kono."

"Yeah?"

"Where would you go?"

"I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it. A honeymoon is a once in a lifetime kind of thing, so it would have to be someplace really special. What about you?"

"I'd want to go wherever the woman I was marrying wanted to go. The way I figure it, it wouldn't really matter where we went as long as we were together."

"You're killing me, you know that?"

"What?"

"Do SEALs have to take some kind of special course in 'How To Sweep Women Off Their Feet' or something?"

'Yeah." (He throws her a little grin.) "Comes in handy when we're running an extraction in the middle of a war zone."

"Ass."

"Yeah, but you love my ass."

"Among other things."

(Sam awakens to find sunlight flooding their room and Steve's beautiful eyes looking down at her from where he is propped up on one elbow and his other hand is tracing lazy circles over the sensitive skin of her shoulder. Steve has that sexy little grin on his face that Sam absolutely adores, and she smiles when he leans down and places a kiss on her nose.)

"Good morning, Beautiful."

"Morning, Sailor."

"Hungry?"

"Starving. What's for breakfast?"

"Whatever you want, but we need to be at the airport by 8:30."

"8:30 . . . Steve it's almost 7:00 now! Why do we have to be at the airport so early? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Really, Steve, still with the surprise thing?"

"Yep. You know what? On second thought, don't worry about breakfast, we'll eat on the plane. C'mon, Beautiful, get that extremely fine six of yours out of bed."

"Aye, aye, Commander."


	55. Chapter 55

"**His Salvation"**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE **

Title: "His Salvation"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: He saved her. Will she be his salvation?

Date Written: January 23, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

**A/N: This is the last chapter in this particular story and I really hope you have all enjoyed it. A few chapters ago, I asked for input from all of you regarding another story in this A/U. Thank you all so much for the reviews and p/m's I've received. The result of your input is that there is definitely another story coming! I also appreciate all suggestions and recommendations. However, I would like to remind everyone that, (A) this is fan FICTION so writers can basically do what they want with their characters, and (B) sometimes you just have to make chapters really long or really short to provide emphasis on certain aspects of the story. Thanks, again, for reading and I hope you'll read my next installment! Michelle**

(Sam and Steve make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare, but, instead of returning their rental car to the regular return lot, Steve drives around the main terminal and parks in front of the departure terminal for private planes. The look on Sam's face is priceless and Steve just grins as he gets out of the car and walks around to open her door. By the time he is helping Sam out of the car, a tall, distinguished looking man walks out of the small building to greet them. Steve obviously knows the man because they shake hands and are both grinning like idiots.)

"Steve! Good to see you, Buddy!"

"You, too, Rob! Sam, this is Rob Stanton. Rob was one of my BUD/S instructors. Now, he owns his own private airline. Rob, my wife, Samantha."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. McGarrett. I've heard a lot about you from this guy and Mike Thrasher. I understand you're a fighter pilot."

"Please call me Sam and yes, I am. I'd love to sit down with you and discuss Steve at great length some time."

(Rob laughs heartily, Steve just shakes his head, and Sam looks at her husband with awe. She is constantly amazed at the number of people he knows and the fact that he has been able to pull off the whole honeymoon thing without her having a clue as to what he's been up to.)

"As much as I'd like to accommodate you, Sam, you really don't have time for that right now. The plane's ready to go and your pilot's already received clearance to take off. As soon as you're on board, you're good to go."

"Thanks, Rob, I really appreciate this."

"No problem, Steve. Anytime. She still doesn't have any idea where you're going, does she?"

"Nope."

"I don't suppose I could talk you into telling me, could I, Rob?"

"No, Ma'am. I trained this guy and I'm well aware of what he's capable of. I prefer to remain in one piece, thank you. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight. I'm positive you're going to enjoy yourself once you reach your destination."

(Sam and Steve say goodbye to Rob, walk through the terminal to the tarmac and toward a sleek Citation X jet. Sam's eyes immediately light up at the sight of the aircraft in front of her, and Steve grins when he sees her reaction. They board the aircraft and find that the luxurious cabin has everything he asked for and then some. Champagne is chilling on the low table in front of the leather sofa, and two flutes and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries sit beside it. The pilot and co-pilot are both standing just inside the cabin door, and Sam squeaks with pleasure when she sees them. Both me are former Naval Aviators she has flown with in years past, and, she extracts a promise from both of them that they'll come aft once they're in the air to catch up. After they return to the cockpit and she and Steve are seated while the plane taxis to the runway, Sam looks at her husband with utter amazement on her face.)

"How the Hell do you do it, Steve?"

"Do what?"

"Every time I turn around you've got the most wonderful surprise planned for me. I mean, Adam and Brett, for instance. I haven't seen them in years, and they're flying us to wherever it is we're going for our honeymoon? And, this plane! It's gorgeous, and do you know what the specs are for this baby? It's incredible! The range, for instance. . ."

"Sam! It's our honeymoon. Can we _not_ discuss aircraft specifications, please?"

"Sorry. I just . . You know that, to me, anything to do with flying is almost better than sex,"

"Hey!"

"I said _almost_, Sailor. . . So, are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"Nope."

"Not even a hint?"

"Okay. One hint. We didn't leave last night because I didn't want to spend our wedding night on a plane."

"You know, you didn't even ask me where I wanted to go."

"Don't you trust me, Sam?"

"Implicitly."

"Okay, then."

"'Cause if you had of asked me, I'd have said that I'd like to go to the one place I've never been but always wanted to go."

"And just where would that be?"

"Vienna."

"As in Austria?"

"Yeah. I've been all over Europe, but I've never been there, and I'd really love to go someday. I sort of fell in love with the Alps after I saw 'The Sound of Music'."

"And how is it I didn't know this?"

"You didn't ask."

"Damn. Sorry, Beautiful, we'll get there eventually."

(Although both of Sam's friends come back to the cabin at different points in the flight to catch up, neither of them will tell Sam where they're headed, much to her consternation. After her friends, first one and then the other, have both returned to the cockpit, Steve takes Sam's hand, pulls her out of her seat, and pulls her toward the back of the plane. When he opens a door in the rear of the main cabin, Sam gasps as she sees before her a beautifully appointed bedroom. A slow smile spreads across her face as she turns into Steve's arms and slides her arms around his neck.)

"I've never done it on a plane. This should be interesting."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

(Hours later, Steve kisses Sam awake and tells her they're about to land and need to get dressed. In short order, their plane is on the ground. When they walk down the steps and onto the tarmac. Sam glances around, stops dead in her tracks, and throws her arms around Steve's neck. After kissing him thoroughly, she looks up into his eyes with sheer pleasure in hers.)

"You never cease to amaze me, Steve. I love you more than my life."

"I love you, too, Sam. Welcome to Vienna."

**A/N: And there you go. "His Salvation" is now complete. I hope to start the third installment of this storyline later today. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I appreciate your interest and support! Michelle**


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